HOW TO HIRE · BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hire a business consultant in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.
A business consultant in Ireland costs €500–€2,500 per day, typically around €1,000. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.
- Search and compare — no account needed
- Nearest to you first
- One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews
THE 60-SECOND VERSION
Hiring a business consultant in five steps
- Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?No register covers business consultant work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — market Research — business consultants conduct market analysis to help companies understand their competitive landscape.
- How does consultant's experience change the price?A provider who guarantees the work prices that guarantee in. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does complexity of the project change the price?Fine work is checked more often, and checking takes time. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does geographical location change the price?Rates sit higher in the cities than in the smaller towns. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- What is not included?Financial Advisory — consultants often provide insights into financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, and investment strategies — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a business consultant job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Check before you book
No register applies
NO REGISTER APPLIES to chefs, stylists, organisers, errand runners or concierges. You are buying somebody's time, taste and access to your home, so the checks are about trust and what is written down rather than about law.
Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.
What to check instead
Whether they are a trader — a business name and an invoice, not a favour with money attached; Public liability insurance, and who the insurer is; For anyone in your home unaccompanied, references you actually telephone; For food, whether they hold food-safety training and where the food is prepared; Exactly what the hours cover and what counts as extra; Keys and access in writing: who holds what, and how it comes back.
Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.
Insurance
Expect public liability; for food work, ask about product liability too. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.
Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.
Trader or private seller
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.
Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.
VAT
VAT at 13.5%, the reduced rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.
Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →
A good answer: No register covers business consultant work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — market Research — business consultants conduct market analysis to help companies understand their competitive landscape.
A good answer: A provider who guarantees the work prices that guarantee in. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Fine work is checked more often, and checking takes time. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Rates sit higher in the cities than in the smaller towns. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Financial Advisory — consultants often provide insights into financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, and investment strategies — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a business consultant job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
A good answer: Expect public liability; for food work, ask about product liability too — operational Efficiency — consultants analyze existing processes to identify inefficiencies and recommend improvements.
A good answer: A written scope and a price before the business consultant starts, and an itemised invoice after — strategic Planning — business consultants assist companies in defining their goals and creating actionable strategies.
Getting the quote right
- Consultant's experience — a provider who guarantees the work prices that guarantee in.
- Complexity of the project — fine work is checked more often, and checking takes time.
- Geographical location — rates sit higher in the cities than in the smaller towns.
- Complexity of the issues addressed — complexity usually means a more experienced person on the job.
- In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
- What is NOT included, named
- Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
- The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register
Walk away if
- They will not talk about it: consultant's experience — a provider who guarantees the work prices that guarantee in
- They will not talk about it: complexity of the project — fine work is checked more often, and checking takes time
- They will not talk about it: geographical location — rates sit higher in the cities than in the smaller towns
- A price for the business consultant before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
- Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
- No written quote, or one that moves once the business consultant has begun
What a business consultant costs: €500–€2,500 per day
The figures are for the job, per day, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Strategic planning consultant and Marketing consultant each carry their own band. Business Consultant price guide →
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE
Business consultants near you, with the badges that matter shown
ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
- Look firstConsultant's experience — a provider who guarantees the work prices that guarantee in — that is what the business consultant is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
- Agree what is being doneComplexity of the project — fine work is checked more often, and checking takes time — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
- The work itselfGeographical location — rates sit higher in the cities than in the smaller towns — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
- Check it togetherComplexity of the issues addressed — complexity usually means a more experienced person on the job — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the business consultant is still there.
- What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, size of your business — a bigger job is harder to fit into a gap in the diary.
- Strategic Planning
- Business consultants assist companies in defining their goals and creating actionable strategies.
- Operational Efficiency
- Consultants analyze existing processes to identify inefficiencies and recommend improvements.
- Financial Advisory
- Consultants often provide insights into financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, and investment strategies.
- Market Research
- Business consultants conduct market analysis to help companies understand their competitive landscape.
- Strategic Planning Consultant
- Helps businesses define their long-term goals and develop actionable strategies to achieve them.
- Marketing Consultant
- Focuses on enhancing brand awareness and developing effective marketing strategies to reach target audiences.
AFTER
When the job is done
Hiring a business consultant: questions people ask
The cost can vary based on the consultant's experience, the complexity of the project, and the geographical location. More specialised consultants or those with a strong track record may charge higher rates.
The duration can vary significantly depending on the scope of the project. Some engagements may last a few hours for specific advice, while comprehensive projects could span several weeks or months.
This depends on your specific requirements. General consultants can provide broad advice, while specialists may be needed for niche areas such as financial restructuring or market entry strategies.
Some consultants offer emergency or same-day services, especially for urgent business issues. However, availability may vary, and it's best to inquire directly with the consultant.
Yes, many consultants offer packages that include multiple services, which can often lead to cost savings. Discussing your needs upfront can help tailor a solution that fits your requirements.
Business consultants usually focus on strategic advice and operational improvements, rather than providing direct implementation or technical services. For example, they may not handle legal matters or IT support directly.
MORE GUIDES