Is it really needed to hire financial consultants? What does a financial consultant do? Can an organization survive without having a financial consultant? These are a few of the questions which people have commonly asked.

Now, let’s understand who business financial consultants are? Financial consultants are professionals who offer expert advice to their valuable clients to manage their economic issues effectively. They play a crucial role in a company. Financial consultants help organizations to face difficulties and prepare strategies to handle them. A business without a financial consultant will soon go down. These professionals are valuable people who know what is happening in the market. Plus, they save money and time. 

A person who has the expertise as a financial consultant will assist you in adapting to changes and remaining competitive. Not every business owner can be a good financial planner. By hiring financial consultants means that your organization is in safe hands. Financial consultants and planners help you reduce the business risks and suggest ways to increase your profit.

Role of Financial consultants in an organization

Lack of adequate financial discipline and model, financial planning, non-compliance penalties, etc., hides the profit earned percentage and compels the organization to hire some random finance person (an additional financial burden to the organization) to survive the risk of shut down. 

Your organization may have a good service or product, but if the business financial model is not great, no sustainable venture can be made out of that. Entrepreneurs also got stuck in convincing NBFCs, banks, or other financial sources because of a lack of good managerial skills or credentials to validate their liquidity. Banks typically want to look at the financial history.

Having a skilled chartered financial consultant by your side can mitigate all financial issues. Furthermore, they will introduce financial discipline which includes lucrative investments, cost savings, financial projections, and predictions, preparing a strategic layout for financial success.

Below are the services that a new business can expect to avail of from a financial consultancy firm.

• Bookkeeping and Accounting
• Creating financial statement 
• Managing records 
• Budgeting and cash flow forecasting
• Banking services
• Compliance 
• Tax services
• Corporate governance
• Miscellaneous services

That’s a never-ending list of financial facilities that can save an organization from tumbling down. As Jim Rohn, an American entrepreneur said, “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.” Financial consultancy firms play a double role in building a firm foundation and then creating a strong structure on top of that in the growth from a startup to a successful business organization.

Responsibilities of financial consultants 

Learn about the essential responsibilities, requirements, duties, and skills required in a financial consultant job description. Financial consultants, also known as financial advisors, advise clients on retirement planning, taxes, investments, and insurance decisions to assist them in accomplishing their financial goals. They can either be self-employed or hired for consulting firms and financial institutions.

Here are some of the key responsibilities of financial consultants in an organization:  

• Preparing financial plans to help clients accomplish their short-term and long-term financial objectives.
• They provide clients advice on taxes, investments, retirement planning, and insurance decisions based on their financial goals.
• Evaluate how specific financial status changes and life changes affect clients’ financial plans and prepare such plans accordingly.
• Visit clients’ places of business and homes to consult with them.
• Financial consultants are responsible for monitoring economic conditions and financial markets.
• They are responsible for soliciting new clients using emailing, cold-calling, marketing or advertising, and seminar-hosting.
• Collaborating with real estate agents, accountants, attorneys, and other financial professionals to validate the information.
• Financial consultants are responsible for performing research on suitable investment options for clients.

Skills required to become financial consultants

To become a professional financial consultant, one needs to possess some key skills and academic qualifications. Those requirements are:

• One needs to have a bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, business management, or a relevant field 
• One needs to be licensed with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) 
• Good experience and expertise needed to become a financial consultant
• Needs to be a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) 
• One should master all Microsoft Office applications or MS-suite 
• The capability to evaluate financial data
• Excellent communication skills 
• Effective problem-solving skills 
• Exceptional business acumen 
• Strong customer service skills 

What are the duties of financial consultants? 

Professional financial consultants need to do many duties that span different areas—from establishing and maintaining healthy relationships with clients to applying financial techniques to select the best possible investment instruments for a company’s or individual’s unique situations. 

Here are different basic duties of financial consultants:

• Offering financial advice to clients depending on their situations, desired level of forthcoming investment growth, and appetite for risk.
• Evaluating client information and upcoming financial projections to ascertain the best investment strategies and solutions for clients.
• Keeping healthy relationships with pre-existing clients and considering their strategies and advice to make changes in financial conditions.
• Preparing financial reports and interacting with clients about what the numbers mean.
• Fulfilling all regulatory needs.
• Staying updated with the most recent financial regulatory and product changes.   

Can businesses survive without financial consultants?

Almost all CEOs are the brains of the company which means they’re excellent at disruptive and big picture thinking but marginally good with managerial stuff like cash flow, cost cuttings, profit margins, financing, etc. Small and medium-scale businesses may not need a full-time CFO but need to hire financial consultants who can better fit into the role and perform tasks well. Businesses need lots of resources to run smoothly. If you underestimate any of the resources, it may cause repentance.

As technologies and markets shift, so do rules. Based on your industry type, financial consultants are needed to introduce new finance models and disciplines to the organization and make the organization grow faster. 

If you are a startup and want to hire professional financial consultants for your business, HRMB Associates LLC is there for you. We connect you with highly professional financial consultants that can help you grow your business at a new pace.