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The differences between small business consultants and business sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a small business consultant and a business sales associate. Additionally, a business sales associate has an average salary of $59,485, which is higher than the $47,982 average annual salary of a small business consultant.
The top three skills for a small business consultant include customer service, business clients and outbound calls. The most important skills for a business sales associate are business sales, product knowledge, and customer satisfaction.
| Small Business Consultant | Business Sales Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $47,982 | $59,485 |
| Hourly rate | $23.07 | $28.60 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 116,476 | 359,630 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A business sales associate's primary goal is to secure sales and reach sales targets. To make this possible, a business sales associate conducts market research and analyses to identify new business and client opportunities, generates leads, and develops sales strategies. They usually reach out to potential clients or representatives through calls or correspondence, arrange appointments, discuss product or service specifications, organize payment plans, and negotiate contracts, building positive business relationships along the way. Moreover, they produce progress reports and coordinate with managers regularly.
Small business consultants and business sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Small Business Consultant | Business Sales Associate | |
| Average salary | $47,982 | $59,485 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $66,000 | Between $42,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a small business consultant and a business sales associate in terms of educational background:
| Small Business Consultant | Business Sales Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between small business consultants' and business sales associates' demographics:
| Small Business Consultant | Business Sales Associate | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.0% Female, 41.0% | Male, 60.0% Female, 40.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 6% |