Many people have what it takes to become a successful business advisors. Counseling small businesses can be an extremely rewarding career, both financially and emotionally. If you’re thinking of becoming a small business advisor, there are a few things you should know. Here are six steps to becoming a successful small business advisor.

Know Your Stuff

This may seem like an obvious one, but it’s important to know your stuff when you’re advising small businesses. Before giving advice, research the topic inside and out. Be sure you’re up-to-date on the latest changes in legislation, too. The last thing you want is to give your clients outdated information that could end up costing them dearly.

Be trustworthy

Clients will only trust you if you’re trustworthy. Be honest in all your dealings with clients and potential clients. Be upfront about your fees and the services you provide. Never make promises you can’t keep, or try to sell clients products or services they don’t need. If you’re always honest and upfront with your clients, they’ll be more likely to trust your advice and continue doing business with you for years to come.

Don’t be too salesy

Clients can smell a hard sell from a mile away. When giving advice, be impartial. It’s okay to suggest products or services that might benefit your client, but don’t push them into anything they’re not comfortable with. Also, avoid using high-pressure sales tactics. If you do, chances are good that the client will never use your services again—and they’ll probably tell all their friends about the terrible experience they had with you!

Build relationships

If you want to be successful as a small business advisor, it’s important to build strong relationships with your clients. Get to know them on a personal level so that they feel comfortable confiding in you about their hopes, dreams, and fears for their business. The more invested they feel in you as a person, the more likely they are to take your advice and follow through with it.

Offer value

It’s not enough to simply show up when clients need you; you have to offer them value every step of the way. This means being available when they need you, whether it’s for an impromptu phone call or an emergency meeting. It also means being a sounding board for their ideas, offering new perspectives on old problems, and providing them with resources they wouldn’t have otherwise had access to. In short, always be thinking about how you can add value for your clients—it’s the best way to ensure long-term success as a small business advisor.

Don’t forget about marketing   Marketing is an important part of any small business advisor’s job—after all, how else are potential clients going to find out about you and your services? Make sure you’re doing everything you can to get the word out there about what you do and how you can help small businesses succeed. From attending networking events to writing articles (like this one!), there are endless opportunities for marketing your small business advisory services—so get creative and go for it!

Conclusion:      Being a successful small business advisor takes more than just knowing your stuff—it takes building relationships, offering value, being trustworthy and avoiding pressure sales tactics if y9ou want clients to keep coming back for more.. Keep these steps in mind as your begin (or continue) your journey as a small business advisor!