Business Consulting - An Alternative

Over the past few months I wrote about Fiverr, Maker's Row and Freelancers.  Today in Bloomberg BusinessWeek I read about the Business Talent Group (BTG).  

According to the description on the website, BTG:

"Business Talent Group is a global consulting marketplace that lets firms quickly harness exceptional independent talent to get critical work done. Our mission is to bring together the world's top companies and independent professionals to enhance business performance and improve people's lives. Since 2007 we've provided leading companies, private equity firms and major non-profits with project-based solutions that are more effective and less expensive than traditional consulting. It's a new way to work, and BTG is leading the charge."

This is a concept very similar to Fiverr, Maker's Row and Freelancers.  BTG matches a company's requirements with the inventory of 5,000 free lance consultants signed up to participate.  It is a brilliant concept.

This is no small potato organization.  BTG does work all over the world. Clients include 20 percent of the Fortune 500 firms. Industries served include (but not limited to) automotive, finance, manufacturing, e-commerce, life science, software and non-profit.

As the BusinessWeek article pointed out, not every consulting gig requires a stable of consultants with the overhead that comes with hiring a top notch firm. Some company CEOs only need specific, short term consulting. 

For companies in rural areas, this is an excellent venue to get the right consultant to review a business challenge and/or help implement a new process or program.  Rural areas may lack the expertise, but no longer.  In addition, BTG should be able to help small and medium sized businesses connect to expertise in a cost efficient manner. 

Lately, I read more and more about this type of business structure. It appears to be a paradigm change.  A company executive can access talent, services, advice, or contract manufacturing when they need it and for as long as the executive team needs it.  Less overhead, more funds for essential and core functions.  

Link to the Bloomberg BusinessWeek article:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-12/when-one-consultant-is-better-than-a-dozen

Link to the BTG website:  http://businesstalentgroup.com/