How to Avoid Getting Burned by a Bad Consultant in CPG
How to Avoid Getting Burned by a Bad Consultant in CPG
Ask around in any food founder community, and you’ll hear the horror stories.
The marketing “guru” who promised a rebrand that would “triple sales”—and delivered a Canva logo with no strategy.
The accountant who missed key filing deadlines, leaving the founder with a five-figure tax penalty.
The packaging designer who didn’t know Canadian bilingual compliance rules—forcing a $12,000 reprint before the first PO even shipped.
The common thread?
Founders spent money they didn’t have on people who couldn’t deliver what they promised.
1. Why Food Founders Are Easy Targets
The CPG world looks simple from the outside. But once you’re in, you realise it’s a maze of retailer expectations, compliance rules, and operational bottlenecks.
That gap—between what a founder knows and what they need to know—is exactly where bad consultants thrive.
- They sell “expertise” that’s just Google searches dressed up as billable hours.
- They throw industry buzzwords around but can’t name a single buyer they’ve actually worked with.
- And because most founders are running at full tilt, they don’t have the time to vet them properly.
2. The Real Cost of a Bad Hire
A bad consultant isn’t just a sunk cost—it’s a growth killer.
- Cash burn: $5,000–$20,000 wasted on deliverables that don’t work
- Lost time: Months spent on the wrong strategy mean missed retail windows and promo cycles
- Reputation damage: Buyers remember late launches and sloppy execution far longer than your excuse
One founder I know hired a PR “specialist” who promised national coverage for their new snack brand. The result? A single blog post on a site with 300 monthly visitors. Cost: $8,500. ROI: zero.
3. The Categories Most at Risk
From hundreds of founder stories, the same three consulting categories keep coming up:
- Marketing & Branding – Flashy portfolios but no sales follow-through
- Accounting & Finance – Poor understanding of CPG-specific cost structures
- Packaging & Design – No knowledge of retailer, distributor, or compliance requirements
When the work is bad in these areas, it’s not just a setback—it can force you to start over.
4. Why the “Good Ones” Are Hard to Find
The best consultants are busy. They’re expensive. And they often work by referral only.
That means founders new to the game get the “leftovers”—people who are either inexperienced or between better clients.
And here’s the kicker: bad consultants look good online. Polished websites, big claims, fake testimonials.
5. How to Vet Before You Hire
If you take nothing else from this post, remember this: you are not buying deliverables—you are buying proven outcomes.
Here’s what to ask before you sign anything:
- Show me your results in the last 12 months for a brand like mine.
- Who can I call? Referrals from actual paying clients—not friends or “industry colleagues.”
- What’s the process? If they can’t explain it in plain English, they don’t have one.
- How do you measure success? If it’s “brand awareness,” walk away unless they can tie it to sales.
The Fix: Use Your Network + AI to Spot Red Flags Early
Your founder network is your first line of defence—ask for names, both good and bad.
But when you’re short on time, tools like goCPG’s free AI mentor can help you:
- Analyse a consultant’s proposal for vague promises and missing deliverables
- Compare quoted costs to industry benchmarks so you know if you’re overpaying
- Generate a customised vetting checklist based on your category and stage of growth
- Draft contract clauses that protect you from underperformance
The AI won’t choose your consultant for you, but it will make you a lot harder to fool.
Final Thoughts
In CPG, your runway is short and your margins are thin. One bad hire can burn through a quarter’s worth of cash—and set your launch back by months.
The best founders I know don’t just work hard; they work with the right people. And when they’re not sure who that is yet, they lean on systems, networks, and tools to make better calls.
Before you sign your next consulting contract, run it through goCPG’s AI mentor. A five-minute check could save you five figures.
