In the business world, it is common to come across terms like manager, advisor, and consultant. While these professionals share the goal of supporting companies, their roles, expertise, and scope are very different. However, many entrepreneurs, SMEs, and individuals are unaware of their specific functions and how they can complement each other.

In this article, we will break down their roles and explain in which cases it is essential to have each of them, with a special emphasis on the consultant’s role in strategic decision-making.

What does a manager do?

A manager is responsible for day-to-day administrative and operational tasks. Their work is usually related to compliance with recurring legal and tax obligations, but they are also common in other areas, such as banking. Some examples include:

• Filing tax returns such as IGI or IRPF (especially the less complex ones).
• Processing grants or administrative licenses.
• Handling paperwork with public institutions or third parties.
• Managing the company’s basic accounting.
• Carrying out administrative or banking tasks, such as transfers or searching for financial products.

In short, a manager is essential for keeping documentation in order and ensuring compliance with current regulations. However, their function is limited to executing specific administrative tasks, without delving into analysis or providing personalized recommendations.

In other words, their role is to ensure due compliance with regulations, both in form and timing.

What about an advisor?

An advisor takes specialization a step further. Their role is to analyze the client’s needs and propose technical solutions in specific areas such as taxation, accounting, human resources, marketing, sales, or legal aspects. Some examples of their work include:

• Designing tax strategies to reduce the tax burden without taking risks.
• Advising on staff hiring and drafting contracts.
• Reviewing the corporate structure to optimize it from a legal and financial perspective.
• Designing the most appropriate marketing strategies.

An advisor is ideal when you need specialized advice to make informed decisions in specific business areas. Their technical approach helps optimize particular aspects of the company.

The consultant: The comprehensive strategist

Unlike managers and advisors, consultants take a global and strategic approach to business. Their work is not limited to operational tasks or occasional advice but aims to align all aspects of the company to ensure its success.

Consultants address tax, legal, accounting, financial, operational, and management issues from a multidisciplinary perspective. Their holistic approach allows them not only to optimize the business but also to ensure that decisions align with the company’s long-term objectives while maintaining balance within the organization.

For example, a consultant at Elysium Consulting can:

• Design an internationalization strategy for companies looking to expand into new markets while minimizing tax and legal risks.
• Conduct a comprehensive diagnosis to identify areas for improvement in tax, legal, accounting, or operational management.
• Support executives in key decision-making by evaluating risks and opportunities from a global perspective that considers multiple jurisdictions and regulations.
• Execute business restructurings by combining commercial, tax, accounting, economic, and financial elements.

A consultant is crucial when making strategic decisions that require integrating different areas of the business simultaneously or dealing with multiple jurisdictions where regulations or requirements may contradict or clash with the intended objectives. Additionally, their ability to coordinate teams and specialists ensures that every decision aligns with the company’s interests.

When do you need each one?

Manager: If you need someone to handle daily operations and ensure compliance with administrative obligations.

Advisor: When you require technical and specialized solutions in specific areas, such as taxation, hiring, or restructuring, among others.

Consultant: When you need support in making strategic decisions and ensuring that all business elements work harmoniously toward a common goal without conflicting with short-term needs.

Conclusion: All are necessary, but each has its time

In the field of strategic and international consulting, as at Elysium Consulting, we understand that a company’s success depends on having the right support at each stage.

A manager ensures you meet daily obligations, an advisor provides technical solutions, and a consultant ensures that all the pieces fit together into a comprehensive strategy.

Having a trusted consultant not only makes a difference in decision-making and results but also helps avoid costly mistakes and maximize opportunities.

If you’re looking for support to take your business to the next level, don’t hesitate to get in touch and discover how we can help you!