As I work with more and more clients and build stronger relationships with them, it becomes more clear to me the different between a consultant and an advisor. A consultant will help improve the performance of your business (at least a good one will), but an advisor does these things in addition to that:

• Provides you candid advice, regardless of what everyone else is telling you
• Introduces you to key people that can help you in other ways
• Always has your best interests in mind, not their own
• Communicates with you regularly, even when there is no work being done together
• Provides value to you on regularly, even when an initiative is not being worked on
• Develops explicit trust with you and shares confidential information
• Brings customers together to share information
• Develops thought leadership material

The only business model that I follow is to be a trusted advisor to my clients and do what is in their best interests to improve their lives. Do you have anyone around you providing that? If not, you should. A trusted advisor will help your business and your personal development improve in ways that you did not know were possible.