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Business advisor vs small business consultant

The differences between business advisors and small business consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a business advisor has an average salary of $96,469, which is higher than the $47,982 average annual salary of a small business consultant.

The top three skills for a business advisor include customer service, project management and business operations. The most important skills for a small business consultant are customer service, business clients, and outbound calls.

Business advisor vs small business consultant overview

Business AdvisorSmall Business Consultant
Yearly salary$96,469$47,982
Hourly rate$46.38$23.07
Growth rate6%11%
Number of jobs125,154116,476
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4444
Years of experience-4

What does a business advisor do?

Business Advisors are consultants responsible for implementing business strategies to improve financial and operational efficiency. They are involved in preparing financial budgets, recommending a change in the operational process, identifying new business opportunities, evaluating a marketing strategy, and reviewing supplier and labor contracts. Business advisors also help to manage risk by performing risk analysis and consumer behavioral analysis. They are involved in report preparation and work to maintain open communication with different departments to implement change.

What does a small business consultant do?

A small business consultant specializes in developing and recommending strategies to optimize the daily operations of small businesses. They typically meet with clients to identify their needs and preferences, determine their short and long-term goals, perform market research and analysis to find business or client opportunities, determine the strengths and weaknesses of current processes, and implement solutions against problem areas. They may also conduct risk assessments and help address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Moreover, a small business consultant must devise a plan to implement the establishment's policies and regulations, suggesting new ones as needed.

Business advisor vs small business consultant salary

Business advisors and small business consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Business AdvisorSmall Business Consultant
Average salary$96,469$47,982
Salary rangeBetween $67,000 And $138,000Between $34,000 And $66,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CA-
Highest paying stateNew Jersey-
Best paying companyAmazon-
Best paying industryTechnology-

Differences between business advisor and small business consultant education

There are a few differences between a business advisor and a small business consultant in terms of educational background:

Business AdvisorSmall Business Consultant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeWestern Carolina UniversityNorthwestern University

Business advisor vs small business consultant demographics

Here are the differences between business advisors' and small business consultants' demographics:

Business AdvisorSmall Business Consultant
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 63.9% Female, 36.1%Male, 59.0% Female, 41.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 9.7% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage11%12%

Differences between business advisor and small business consultant duties and responsibilities

Business advisor example responsibilities.

  • Manage training and presentation collateral on SharePoint system, resulting in recycling of documentation for consistent messaging across enterprise.
  • Manage cost-centers and leverage unique Indian production and post- production capabilities and position the company as a prefer production partner.
  • Prepare financial statements, payroll tax reports, and advise small business clients on accounting and financial management matters.
  • Provide a supplement team in an effort to create a cloud computing architecture team at a major telecommunications company.
  • Handle miscellaneous bookkeeping duties including payroll, payroll taxes, accounts receivable, accounts payable and financial statements for client companies.
  • Support the reengineering of the SME development area.
  • Show more

Small business consultant example responsibilities.

  • Manage client information using SalesForce CRM software.
  • Construct and manage business Facebook page and keep current with appealing promotions and coupons.
  • Manage training and presentation collateral on SharePoint system, resulting in recycling of documentation for consistent messaging across enterprise.
  • Update and maintain various SalesForce and SharePoint accounts for clients.
  • Display clothing and merchandise in windows, advertisements, and/or fashion shows.
  • Decrease sales data - CRM integration/updating from hours to minutes for Siemens AG.
  • Show more

Business advisor vs small business consultant skills

Common business advisor skills
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Project Management, 8%
  • Business Operations, 8%
  • Strong Analytical, 8%
  • Healthcare, 7%
  • Human Resources, 4%
Common small business consultant skills
  • Customer Service, 57%
  • Business Clients, 11%
  • Outbound Calls, 6%
  • Strong Computer, 3%
  • Financial Statements, 3%
  • Business Development, 2%

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