On this page
- 01Key takeaways
- 02Why should strategy stay with the owners?
- 03Which parts of strategy work can you outsource?
- 04How do you get value from a strategy consultant?
- 05When does outside strategy help most?
- 06What does this look like in practice?
- 07Strategy outsourcing checklist
- 08Next step
- 09Sources and further reading
- 10Frequently asked questions
Key takeaways
You should not outsource business strategy itself. Strategy is a set of choices about where you compete, who you serve and what you will not do, and the owners must make and live with them. You can outsource the inputs: market research, financial modelling, facilitation and an outside challenge. Buy the thinking support, keep the choosing.
- Keep: the choices about markets, customers and what you will not do.
- Buy in: research, modelling, facilitation and challenge.
- Write the strategy in your own words, on one or two pages.
- Review it yourselves every quarter, not only when a consultant visits.
Want a sounding board on which strategy work to buy in? Message us on WhatsApp.
Chat on WhatsApp →Why should strategy stay with the owners?
Because strategy only works if the people running the business believe it and act on it daily. A consultant's strategy that the owners did not shape tends to sit in a drawer. Directors also carry the legal duty to promote the success of the company, which includes setting its direction. The consultant leaves; the choices remain.
Which parts of strategy work can you outsource?
The research and analysis that inform the choices. These are time-consuming and benefit from outside skills.
- Market and competitor research.
- Customer interviews and survey analysis.
- Financial models and scenarios.
- Facilitating a strategy day.
- An outside challenge to your assumptions.
How do you get value from a strategy consultant?
Brief them on the questions you need answered, not on writing 'a strategy'. Ask for options with evidence, not a single recommendation. Set aside owner time to work through the options together, then write the final strategy yourselves. The test is whether you could explain it to staff without the consultant in the room.
When does outside strategy help most?
When you face a choice you have not made before, such as entering a new market, raising investment or selling the business, and need expertise you lack. It also helps when the owners disagree and need a neutral facilitator. It helps least when the real problem is execution, not direction.
What does this look like in practice?
A pattern we see: a business pays for a large strategy report and changes little. Businesses that buy specific research and a facilitated day, then write a two-page strategy themselves, tend to act on it, because the choices are theirs.
Strategy outsourcing checklist
- List the questions the strategy must answer.
- Buy in research and modelling for those questions.
- Ask for options, not a single answer.
- Make the choices as owners.
- Write the strategy yourselves on two pages.
- Review it quarterly.
Next step
Write the three strategic questions you most need answered this year. Then decide which need outside research and which need an owners' conversation.
Message us on WhatsApp, or book a 30-minute consultation.
Chat on WhatsApp →Sources and further reading
- Companies Act 2006, Part 10, Chapter 2: general duties of directors · legislation.gov.uk
- The Sourcing and Consultancy Playbooks · Cabinet Office
Frequently asked questions
Can you outsource strategy?
You can outsource the inputs to strategy, such as research, financial modelling, facilitation and challenge, but not the strategic choices themselves. The owners or directors must decide where to compete and what to prioritise, because they carry the duties and must lead the business through the result.
Is it worth hiring a strategy consultant for a small business?
It can be, for a specific question you lack expertise in, such as entering a new market or preparing to raise investment. It is less useful for writing a general strategy. Brief consultants on precise questions, ask for options with evidence, and keep the final choices.
Who should be responsible for business strategy?
The owners or the board of directors. Managers contribute knowledge and carry out the plan, and advisers can provide research and challenge, but responsibility for setting direction sits with the people who own and lead the company.
Written by
Global Bridge Labs (GBL) is a UK–Sri Lanka partner for social media, websites and BPO. Everything here comes from client delivery, not theory.
