The steps involved in hiring an IT consultant are different from those of hiring a regular employee who you train and monitor onsite. IT consultants are usually hired to help with business-critical projects so it's important to find the right expert for the job. It's also important to set explicit ground rules to ensure that the project is completed according to plan, with your intellectual property protected.

The first step is to determine which areas of your business require IT development and support. You have to define your IT objectives before you begin looking for experts so you know the skill set you require. Even when you don't know exactly what technology your business needs, you should define how the IT will help you meet core business objectives. For instance, your objective could be to improve your customer service through improved telecommunications and electronic record keeping. With that objective in mind you would know to look for a consultant with expertise in the technology end of office communications, as well as in customer relationship management (CRM) and general communications data management.