Associates, Alliances And Subcontractors

Among all business models, the consulting firm, a type of professional knowledge firm, is the only business model in which the same people who get the clients also serve the clients.

This overlap raises a question about how to employ people in the firm whose expertise is not required on a daily basis.

Should firms employ them as associates on salaries or freelancers?

If the firm has too many underutilised people on the payroll, profitability suffers. But if the firm works with freelancers performing the type of work that is core for the firm, then it can undermine the firm’s brand and reputation.

So, how to handle this problem?

This is what we discuss this month's hair-raisingly exciting episode of Commando Consulting, unconspicuously entitled, “Associates, Alliances And Subcontractors”.

Enjoy.