#1 value of consulting & "outside help" = asking the right questions
Go anywhere where there's business people, or aspiring business people, and you will find people asking questions. How to do this, that or the other thing.
I've been lurking on Quora, Linkedin, Openforum, etc. Seeing what kinds of questions people are asking.
And, once again, I am convinced that the #1 value I bring to the table isn't what I can provide in terms of solutions and answers to problems...
But the ability to ask the right questions.
That's what expertise gives you. The ability to see what really matters. When you know, you can ask the right questions. The questions that, when answered, will really move the needle for you.
The #1 problem I see for most of these biz owners and aspiring marketers is that they are asking the WRONG questions.
Same thing when people contact me for consulting/copywriting/marketing work. Some people will tell me right away, "what do you charge for a sales letter?"
Um. Hey, man. What makes you think you need a sales letter?
This is also the reason why mentorship is important. Knowing what to focus on. What you need is almost never what you think you need. Period.