Consultants are an excellent resource when you need help with a discrete project with well defined beginning, middle and end stages.
Long term, ongoing projects tend to be less appealing because they can be costly. Projects worthy of consideration for consultant assistance are most often critical, strategic and beyond the expertise and capacity of the host company.
Often the project is one-time or irregular in nature.
Host companies need a firm that is collaborative and a good listener with a laser focus on solving problems in unique ways that are customized to the users market and needs.
Host companies should steer clear of consultants that offer very high level deliverables that are not-actionable.
You do not need canned advice that is not much more than regurgitating what your executives said in the interview process.
Often , these firms have packaged solutions that are in search of a problem
I have helped a variety of start-up firms and going concerns in a variety of industries with their unique issues.