BUSINESS INNOVATION SPECIALISTS
What is business innovation?
Business innovation refers to the introduction of new products, services, processes, and methodologies with the purpose of producing positive change within an organization.
Here’s a quick overview of the skills you should look for in business innovation professionals:
- Business innovation
- Innovation strategy
- Market research
Why do you want to hire business innovation specialists?
The trick to finding top business innovation specialists is to identify your needs. Is your goal to find someone to develop a comprehensive innovation strategy to acquire new market share by tailoring your products and services to an underserved market? Will your business innovation specialist also require project management expertise to oversee the implementation of that innovation strategy? The cost of your project will depend largely on your scope of work and the specific skills needed to bring your project to life.
HOW TO HIRE BUSINESS INNOVATION SPECIALISTS
In an ever-evolving marketplace, businesses must continue to adapt and innovate in order to sustain growth and gain market share.
So how do you hire business innovation specialists? What follows are some tips for finding top business innovation specialists on Upwork.
How to shortlist business innovation professionals
As you’re browsing available business innovation consultants, it can be helpful to develop a shortlist of the professionals you may want to interview. You can screen profiles on criteria such as:
- Product-market fit. You want a business innovation specialist who understands your product-market fit so they can develop a realistic innovation strategy.
- Project experience. Screen candidate profiles for specific skills and experience (e.g., performing market segmentation with Qualtrics).
- Feedback. Check reviews from past clients for glowing testimonials or red flags that can tell you what it’s like to work with a particular business innovation specialist.
How to write an effective business innovation job post
With a clear picture of your ideal business innovation specialist in mind, it’s time to write that job post. Although you don’t need a full job description as you would when hiring an employee, aim to provide enough detail for a contractor to know if they’re the right fit for the project.
An effective business innovation job post should include:
- Scope of work: From competitor analysis to innovation strategy, list all the deliverables you’ll need.
- Project length: Your job post should indicate whether this is a smaller or larger project.
- Background: If you prefer experience with certain industries, technologies, or marketing tools, mention this here.
- Budget: Set a budget and note your preference for hourly rates vs. fixed-price contracts.
Ready to break into new market segments with the power of innovation? Log in and post your business innovation job on Upwork today.
FAQS FOR HIRING BUSINESS INNOVATION SPECIALISTS
How much does it cost to hire a business innovation specialist?
Rates can vary due to many factors, including expertise and experience, location, and market conditions.
- An experienced business innovation specialist may command higher fees but also work faster, have more-specialized areas of expertise, and deliver higher-quality work.
- A contractor who is still in the process of building a client base may price their business innovation services more competitively.
Which one is right for you will depend on the specifics of your project.
How long should you contract a business innovation specialist to complete your project?
As difficult as it is to estimate how long you will need a business innovation specialist, budgeting time is very important to keeping your project on track.
Be prepared to budget more time for more-demanding business innovation projects. For example, leveraging customer feedback to identify minor improvements that could be made to a software product will typically take less time than developing an innovation strategy around developing market-disrupting technologies.
What are the steps involved to hire business innovation specialists?
Here’s how to hire business innovation consultants in four simple steps:
- Identify your project needs, whether it’s auditing products and services or implementing an innovation strategy.
- Define the scope of work and write a detailed job post. Be specific about deliverables (e.g., develop an innovation strategy for a consumer electronics product).
- Review proposals and shortlist potential business innovation specialists for unique skills needed to bring your project to life (e.g., performing market segmentation with HubSpot).
- Interview business innovation talent to gauge whether they’re the right fit for your project.