Article originally published in the WizeCounsel newsletter on Substack

The word consulting  has been so overused that we don't even know what it means anymore. Let me return for a moment to the genesis of this profession, because yes, it is a profession.

Originally, it was a trusted third party. Someone you call before making a binding decision. His role is not to sell a ready-made solution, but to clarify a choice, help structure a strategy, or avoid a mistake that's hard to make up for. He doesn't have all the answers, but he knows how to ask the right questions, without affectation, without filters, without magic promises.

As I like to say, in consulting, you have to think with your head before feeling with your heart.

As you can see, the consultant is not a coach.

The problem is that many entrepreneurs are unaware of the benefits of such support. As a result, they choke on complexity.

In 2025, not being accompanied is sometimes the worst strategic choice you can make, and the problem is that you realize it when it's already too late.

1. The advisor is not an expense, it's a time (and error) saver.

A good consultant isn't there to look pretty.

He's there to support you, to ask the right questions, to analyze the situation methodically, and to help you put in place a new strategy - one that will get you out of the impasse you're in. As you can see, when you structure things correctly, everything becomes simpler, and this gain in clarity is worth far more than its cost.

2. Experts are not just for large groups

This is surely one of the biggest myths. Many people think they're "too small" to hire a consultant. And yet: it's precisely when you're in the early daysin structuring phaseA neutral, strategic view from the outside, becomes decisive.

Why? Because every mistake costs moreand at this stage, you have no right to approximation.

3. A good consultant doesn't sell ready-made solutions

Many entrepreneurs think that a consultant arrives with a bundle of ready-made solutions. But they don't. Our role, and this is probably the most important, begins with listening, analysisand framing.

Not by a status, a set-up or a tax plan. But by a clear understanding of your situation. A good consultant doesn't try to impose a method, he tries to understand what's relevant to you.

And that... is what you'll never get from a tutorial or viral post.

Consulting may not be trendy, but it remains one of the rare levers capable of bringing clarity, structure and direction when everything seems a blur.

Not needing it is an opportunity. To need it and ignore it... that's a risk.

At some point, you have to make a choice: go it alone, or go forward with a direction.