Introduction
I’ve been in your shoes more times than I can count. You’re flat out running the day-to-day, the numbers are decent, but you know there’s another gear you just haven’t found yet. That’s exactly when I wish someone had sat me down 30 years ago and said, “Mate, bring in a good business development consultant now, not after you’ve burned another twelve months trying to figure it out yourself.”
Hi, I’m Nathan Baws. Forty-three years, fifteen businesses built from scratch, no team hiding behind me-just me. Today, I work as a business development consultant with owners, corporate leaders, event organisers, educators, and ambitious students right across Australia. My job? Cut through the noise and get you moving faster toward the growth you can already feel is possible.
This guide is written for every Australian who’s ready to stop treading water and start making serious ground.
Quick Wins You Can Take Today
- Stop guessing where the next dollar is coming from – a sharp business development consultant will map it in weeks.
- Our local rules, grants, and buyer habits are different – a genuine Australian-based business development consultant already knows the shortcuts.
- Growth feels chaotic until someone helps you put the repeatable systems in place.
- Measure everything that moves the needle; the rest is just noise.
- The fastest-growing companies I’ve worked with all had one thing in common: they brought in an experienced business development consultant before they thought they “needed” one.
What a Business Development Consultant Actually Does (in Plain English)
People throw the title around, but here’s the reality from someone who lives it every day.
A business development consultant rolls up their sleeves and finds the money you’re currently leaving on the table – then builds the engine to keep bringing it in.
That means:
- Spotting partnerships you’ve driven past a hundred times
- Turning one-off clients into recurring revenue streams
- Opening doors in new states or overseas that looked too hard from the inside
- Putting the right offers in front of the right people at the right time
I still do every single discovery session myself because no one else has lived my fifteen businesses – the wins, the cash-flow scares, the Shark Tank pitch, the Guinness record, the eight straight years as Australia’s top-selling supplement brand. That lived experience is what I bring when I sit down as your business development consultant.
Clear Signs You Should Bring in a Business Development Consultant This Quarter
I’ve seen these show up again and again from Darwin to Hobart:
- Revenue has been bouncing along the same line for 12+ months
- Your team is busy, but the profit line isn’t climbing
- You keep talking about “next financial year” being the big one
- You’re looking interstate or overseas, and it feels overwhelming
- Competitors seem to be pulling away, and you can’t work out how
Any of those sound familiar? That’s the exact moment a business development consultant pays for themselves ten times over.
The Frameworks I Use Every Single Week as a Business Development Consultant
The 90-Day Revenue Sprint
1–2 weeks: Full audit (I look at everything – numbers, offers, team, market) 3–6 weeks: Pick the three highest-leverage moves 7–12 weeks: Execute hard, measure weekly, double down on what works
Average outcome across my last twenty Australian clients: 21% revenue increase within the first quarter.
Partnership Mapping Matrix
I draw a simple grid on a whiteboard:
- Top right corner = high capability + high trust + high profit. Every business development consultant needs a way to find these gems fast. I’ve got the template refined over decades of doing it myself.
The “Zero-Based” Pipeline Build
Instead of hoping the phone rings, we build a pipeline from scratch that works in Australia – targeted LinkedIn sequences, industry event hit-lists, warm-intro scripts that actually get replies.
Real Australian Stories (No Names, Just Results)
- Gold Coast events company – doubled sponsor dollars in nine months after a business development consultant rebuilt their tiers and approach.
- Adelaide manufacturer – added $1.8 million recurring after a business development consultant pointed them at defence-adjacent contracts they didn’t know existed.
- Perth training provider – first overseas revenue inside six months, fully grant-funded, after sitting down with a business development consultant who knew the EMDG inside out.
How to Pick the Right Business Development Consultant for You
Simple checklist I’d use myself:
- Have they built and scaled their own companies? (Not just advised others)
- Can they show specific dollar results in Australia?
- Do they work one-on-one or hand you off to juniors?
- Do they understand our grants, tax incentives, and state-by-state differences?
If the answer isn’t “yes” to all four, keep looking.
Where Business Development Consultants Are Heading in Australia
AI will do the basic research. Automation will handle the boring follow-ups. What it can’t do is sit across the table (or Zoom) from a stressed owner at 7 pm on a Tuesday and say, “Here’s the exact move that got me out of this same hole in 2009 let’s do it together next week.”
That human combination of strategy, psychology, and deal-making is what the best business development consultants will always bring – and it’s what I still love delivering every day.
Look, if you’ve read this far, part of you already knows the next step.
Conclusion
I only take on a handful of new clients each quarter because I work with everyone personally. If you’re serious about making 2026 the year everything clicks into gear, let’s talk. Head over to https://nathanbaws.com/. Thirty-minute call, no cost, no hard sell – just two Australians talking straight about what’s possible for your business.
P.S. Every single client who’s ever booked that first call has walked away with at least one actionable idea they implemented the same week – even if we never worked together after that. You’ve got nothing to lose and a faster future to gain.
FAQs
What does a business development consultant actually do day-to-day?
I’m usually deep in numbers, talking to your team, mapping competitors, testing channels, and lining up conversations that turn into revenue. All focused on the fastest path to more profit.
How fast do most Australian clients see results with a business development consultant?
Quick wins within 30–60 days are normal; proper strategic lifts usually show within three to nine months once we’re executing hard.
Is a business development consultant worth it for a small Australian business?
100%. The right business development consultant has already made the mistakes and can hand you the playbook that took them years to write.
How is a business development consultant different from a business coach?
Coach = mindset and leadership. Business development consultant = specific revenue projects with hard numbers attached.
Do I have to hire a full-time business development consultant?
Not at all. Most of my engagements run 3–12 months, I embed, transfer the skills, then get out of your way.
Can a business development consultant help with grants and incentives?
Yes – EMDG, R&D tax incentive, state growth funds – I’ve helped clients pull in millions using money that’s sitting there waiting.
What industries do you cover as a business development consultant?
Events, education, health, professional services, manufacturing, tech – anywhere in Australia with ambition.
When do I know I’m ready for a business development consultant?
When you’ve proven the model works, you’re making consistent revenue, but the “how do we double this?” question keeps you awake.
Do you take equity?
Never. Straight fee-for-value keeps everything clean and aligned.
What’s the first step?
Jump to https://nathanbaws.com/, pick a time that suits, and we’ll have a proper chat about where you are and where you want to go.
