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Publication: Economic Times Hyderabad; Date:2008 Sep 29;
Section:Special Report; Page Number 27
SME HELPLINE
A booming consultancy business is the largest
beneficiary of an unprecedented growth in the
country’s small and medium sector
THE growing number of SMEs in the country has given rise to a new industry over
the years – consultants who cater to the specific needs and problems of such
businesses. From marketing and legal support to HR services, these consultants
handhold owners through their most challenging situations as they grow. Being small
themselves, they are often able to relate and respond better than their larger
counterparts. We asked a few of them to list the challenges SMEs face in different
aspects of the business and their advice.
Harish Bijoor, brand specialist and CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults says that often the
battle to become visible and build a better brand than that of your competitor hinges
on the brand you build within your office. When your brand gains respect among
internal stakeholders, they live the brand and associate strongly with it. Bijoor and
his team conduct internal branding sessions for the clients employees where
everyone from the CEO to the doorman is taught how to exemplify the values of the
enterprise. They also conduct regular `brand audits`. "It is possible to create a largerthan-
life brand," Bijoor warns, adding, "Quite often, we recommend that the brand
strip down to look less slick or showy. Most of us hate slick people; why then would
we go for slick advertising?"
But even before they get to the brand building stage, small businesses have a
unique problem - that of attracting good talent. Aparna Sharma, who founded Noam
Consulting after stints with Hewitt among others, says retaining talent with better
payers in the market can be daunting, and companies often make the mistake of
increasing salaries. "This sets an incorrect trend in the company as well as increases
disparity among peers," she says. Her advice - do not compete on pay. "Instead,
categorise your resources in a performance-potential matrix. High potential-high
performance (future leaders) is the most critical category of employees to retain.
Offer individual mentoring and a faster career path. "Promoter CEOs often feel that
their business direction is not translated into functional activities. This leads to
frustration for the CEO who often finds himself alone trying to make a difference,
says Sharma.
Given the resource constraints, promoters of such firms often end up taking HR
responsibilities upon themselves. There`s a way out, though. It goes by many
names, but Gundlapally Ramalinga Reddy calls it Human Resources Function
Outsourcing (HRFO). Simply put, if you are a small business owner who can`t afford
an HR department, Reddy`s firm, Husys, will build it and run it for you - end-to-end.
ET Bureau
Source:
http://www.economictimes.com
Section:Special Report; Page Number 27
SME HELPLINE
A booming consultancy business is the largest
beneficiary of an unprecedented growth in the
country’s small and medium sector
THE growing number of SMEs in the country has given rise to a new industry over
the years – consultants who cater to the specific needs and problems of such
businesses. From marketing and legal support to HR services, these consultants
handhold owners through their most challenging situations as they grow. Being small
themselves, they are often able to relate and respond better than their larger
counterparts. We asked a few of them to list the challenges SMEs face in different
aspects of the business and their advice.
Harish Bijoor, brand specialist and CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults says that often the
battle to become visible and build a better brand than that of your competitor hinges
on the brand you build within your office. When your brand gains respect among
internal stakeholders, they live the brand and associate strongly with it. Bijoor and
his team conduct internal branding sessions for the clients employees where
everyone from the CEO to the doorman is taught how to exemplify the values of the
enterprise. They also conduct regular `brand audits`. "It is possible to create a largerthan-
life brand," Bijoor warns, adding, "Quite often, we recommend that the brand
strip down to look less slick or showy. Most of us hate slick people; why then would
we go for slick advertising?"
But even before they get to the brand building stage, small businesses have a
unique problem - that of attracting good talent. Aparna Sharma, who founded Noam
Consulting after stints with Hewitt among others, says retaining talent with better
payers in the market can be daunting, and companies often make the mistake of
increasing salaries. "This sets an incorrect trend in the company as well as increases
disparity among peers," she says. Her advice - do not compete on pay. "Instead,
categorise your resources in a performance-potential matrix. High potential-high
performance (future leaders) is the most critical category of employees to retain.
Offer individual mentoring and a faster career path. "Promoter CEOs often feel that
their business direction is not translated into functional activities. This leads to
frustration for the CEO who often finds himself alone trying to make a difference,
says Sharma.
Given the resource constraints, promoters of such firms often end up taking HR
responsibilities upon themselves. There`s a way out, though. It goes by many
names, but Gundlapally Ramalinga Reddy calls it Human Resources Function
Outsourcing (HRFO). Simply put, if you are a small business owner who can`t afford
an HR department, Reddy`s firm, Husys, will build it and run it for you - end-to-end.
ET Bureau
Source:
http://www.economictimes.com
