Welcome to the first stage of your data journey! If you’ve ever wondered how data consulting works or why it might be the right fit for your business, you’re not alone. At 8Bit Insights, we’re here to make data consulting approachable, effective, and even a little fun. Think of us as your guide to unlocking the next level in your business’s success. In this post, we’d like to explain when you might need data consulting, bust some myths about it, and outline our own process for you.

Do I Need Data Consulting?

There are many reasons you might want to work with a data consultant!

Do you have a variety of programs that hold your information but you’re not able to put that information together automatically? A consultant can aggregate that data together and create reports and analytics to let you see the whole picture.

Do you manually put information into excel and try to make sense of it or prepare reports for your executives? A consultant can automate your reporting processes and reduce the error and uncertainty that comes from a manual process.

Do you have business or organizational questions that you don’t have answers to – and you think your data could show you, but you’re not sure how? One of our expert data consultants can work with you and your data to answer your burning business questions and a slew of others besides.

Do you have a great team but you need a slightly different skillset or expertise you don’t currently have? A consultant can fill in the gaps and provide what you need without having to hire another full time employee; they can train your team in areas they’d like to expand in; or they can add temporary additional bandwidth to your team for one-off projects, enhancements, transitions, and more.

What Is Data Consulting, Really?

Data consulting is like having an expert team or teammate(s) who help you understand, organize, and leverage your data to make smarter decisions. Whether it’s identifying trends in customer behavior, streamlining internal processes, or predicting future market changes, data consultants work to transform raw information into actionable insights.

In short, data consulting helps you answer both the big, strategic questions, and the day-to-day operational questions. Some examples of questions we see include:

• Where are we excelling, and where are we falling short?
• What do our customers want that we’re not delivering?
• When will I need to increase headcount? How can I forecast our sales to figure that out?
• Where should I add more resources or where should I invest in my business next?

Breaking Down the Myths

Let’s tackle a few common misconceptions about data consulting:

1. “It’s only for big companies.” Not true! Businesses of all sizes can benefit from data consulting. Whether you’re a startup looking to identify your target market or a mid-sized company aiming to optimize operations, there’s a tailored solution for you. We right-size our efforts for your needs and budget. Starting your data journey at an early stage gives you a better foundation to grow efficiently with accurate analytics and predictions.
2. “It’s too expensive.” While some projects require significant investment, many consulting services—like our Power Up packages—are designed to fit a range of budgets. Plus, the ROI from smart data strategies often outweighs the initial cost. While there are many consulting companies out there, we focus on our transparent pricing and up-front analysis to ensure that working together will deliver you the best value and clearest expectations.
3. “I need to be a data expert to get started.” Nope! That’s what we’re here for. You bring the questions, and we’ll bring the tools, expertise, and solutions. We would love to teach you and anyone on your team more about data, but having that knowledge is not a pre-requisite to a data project with us. Our goal isn’t to confuse with technical jargon; it’s to democratize data, make information accessible to anyone, and meet you at the level you’re at.

What is 8Bit’s Process Like?

• Discovery Meeting and Introduction: Meet with a representative from 8Bit and bring as many of your folks as you would like! We’ll introduce who we are and what we do in a few short minutes. The rest of the meeting will include discovery about your organization and data challenges, where we will listen carefully, take notes, and make sure we are a good fit for what you want to accomplish. If this meeting didn’t give us enough information, we can schedule more before we draft a proposal!
• Proposal and Contract: We draft a proposal to solve the issues that you’re looking at and prepare a statement of work. We want to clearly lay out deliverables, timelines, and costs to ensure the best partnership. Once the contract is signed, we assign our resources and begin internal scheduling.
• Kickoff Call: Bring your stakeholders and meet our consultant or team! We will outline the scope of work, introduce ourselves and our qualifications, and establish a deliverable and meeting cadence. Together, we can also raise any concerns and strategies for mitigation to ensure timely and high quality delivery!
• Project Delivery: As work proceeds, we meet regularly with you and/or your team to provide updates and get feedback. We can use your preferred project tracking system, if any, or ours. The focus during this stage is clear communication, focused delivery, and acting as your trusted advisor throughout the process. A great handoff back to you when the project is complete will involve documentation and training as needed. While we would love to work with you again, we want to empower you with your own data, not keep you beholden to us!
• Project Closeout: How did we do? Once the final deliverables have been approved, we’ll have a closeout meeting highlighting the successes and challenges of the project, and next steps for your organization and ongoing data strategy.

Ready to Level Up?

If you’ve been feeling stuck or overwhelmed by your data, know that there are many others who feel the same way. The good news? You don’t have to navigate this journey solo. Let us be your player two, helping you unlock the potential in your data and achieve your business goals.

Want to learn more? Reach out today to schedule a free consultation or explore our offerings. Let’s press start on your data journey and take your business to the next level!