Finance Monthly M&A Awards 2022. UNI TED K INGDOM international experience spanning technology, strategy consulting, and large-scale strategic transformation across various industries and governments and delivered industry-leading strategic services at the board level in consultative and client-side roles. He also provides business coaching for SMEs and new start-ups and this year bagged four internationally renowned business awards for his work. Abrar says to be a successful consultant, one needs to have passion and the ability to put together strategies that can help his/her clients navigate the ups & downs of the business and the industry they operate within. Many young consultants and entrepreneurs seek his guidance in pursuit of success and he says “The question I asked myself every time I work on a project is, “Am I resolving the most important problem that I can help with?” unless I am passionate about it, then I am not going to feel good about it. For me without passion, you don’t have energy and without energy, you simply have nothing to work for.” We asked for his expert opinion and what would be his advice to businesses that are facing challenges in the current stressed economic environment. Abrar lists out some strategies that can help consultants and entrepreneurs to achieve success: Long-term Game Abrar strongly believes in a long-term value strategy approach and says; “I look at companies as businesses, while many looks for the performance in numbers. I analyze productivity as much as numbers despite having strong financial background. Most people in the business focused too much on figures and earnings, so they miss a lot of things that I see in certain situations.” Study business potential before making a strategy Abrar says consultants should approach any project with the mentality that they are investing in the business. He advises consultants to take out time and make an effort to understand the businesses whose strategy they want to formulate to be successful. Focus on 2 Key Ingredients Abrar said a consultant or any entrepreneur should be wary of two key ingredients for any strategy; acting impulsively or not acting at all. A consultant should stay calm and patient and not make an impulsive decisions. At the same time should also be highly aggressive when it comes to performing else can miss valuable opportunities. Quality over Quantity The consultant should avoid herd mentality in the world of business. He warns against falling into the trap of shared collective opinion and says it may not necessarily be wise to go along with a popular opinion or trends always. Further, he advises; most successful strategies are unique and something that is usually against the popular masses. This kind of contrarian can be very successful if one can make the right calls. Focus on undervalued areas Abrar says one should try and search for undervalued areas of the business. Many times, an area is undervalued and the trick is to find such opportunities and embrace them. He says the magnitude of success in strategic decisions matters a lot more than the frequency of the success. Bet big on your best ideas Consultants and entrepreneurs need to have some bold conviction behind every strategic decision that they make. Abrar advises the consultants to let their belief drive their strategy-making. Be flexible & adapt to the situation Abrar advised although having a plan makes it easier to deal with various business situations, one needs to be flexible with those plans as the markets are very unpredictable, especially in recent times. He says one should be ready to adapt to different situations and act accordingly in real time. Enjoy the journey It is more important to enjoy any project than just thinking about making money. Abrar advises consultants to love what they do and relish the art. Abrar has set a benchmark with his smart approach which is studied by professionals and never shies away from taking bold decisions. The tips he shares can help young consultants and entrepreneurs to achieve organic growth and long-term success. 28
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