Consultants in Kenya must change model for effective engagement with Startups

The rise and maturing of the Kenyan startup ecosystem presents opportunities and challenges to eco system players such as legacy financial institutions, policy makers and professional consultants among others

Opportunities for professional consultants’ lies on the great need by startups for specialized services such as accounting, tax, marketing, law and so forth.

The flip side is that the current business model adopted by most professionals is ill suited to serve startups.  The idea of consultants presents an image of a sharp looking person making wonderful pictorial PowerPoint presentation with far reaching recommendation that they leave the client to implement not to mention ridiculous retainer fee to fund their posh offices.

This approach works well with legacy companies that are well staffed but will not work for startups operating on a shoe string budget, understaffed and overworked.

Consultants looking to tap into the startup ecosystem must adopt a model that delivers results rather than recommendations. Given the ability of startups to scale quite rapidly consultants stand to benefit in the long run.

In order to adapt, consultants must take cognizant of the following trends and self correct;

Startups operate in a fluid economic and technological environment hence need hands on and flexible professional service either at executive level or specific professional area.

Startups most likely operate on shoe string budgets hence don’t have luxury of paying retainer fee but milestone, productivity or quantifiable output. This would call for a consultant to align their revenue model accordingly.

Communication style of startups mirrors their nature of work which is task oriented meaning communication flow is constant among team members with no channel discrimination. On the other hand consultants most likely work with schedules and prefer formal communication channels such as emails. In order to get work done consultants must adapt to their customers

Finally consultants must approach startups as customers and not clients. The consultant-client relationship denotes that the consultant is the all knowing expert and is always in charge of the relationship whereas consultant-customer relationship puts the customer or startup at the centre and in control hence need for customer service, satisfaction and loyalty.