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Board of Advisors Definition
A board of advisors is an informal group of people with professional knowledge and business experience who provide advice/suggestions and solutions to business issues to the entity’s management. It comprises legal, accounts and finance, human resource, sales, marketing, etc.
Table of contents
• A board of advisors is a group of professionals with expertise and business
experience who offer advice and solutions to management for business problems.
• The board of advisors can consist of individuals in various areas, including accounting and finance, human resources, legal, marketing, and sales.
• The advisor's agreement typically includes details such as the parties and purpose, company background, service terms, and professional fees.
• Hiring a board of advisors on a contract basis is recommended for entities seeking expert opinions and advice to manage and develop their market share and lessen the board of advisors' burden.
Functions of the Board of Advisors
- Understand the business and industry trends and develop the business strategy to earn income.
- Provide solutions to business issues raised to the management of the entity.
- Provide opinions on the latest updates, how to face current challenges of the entity, and market scenario to the entity’s management.
- Provide new business ideas to the management of the entity for expansion.
- Provide management knowledge of corporate governance, internal control, and internal audit-related issues.
- They monitor the business ranking in the respective industry, its growth, etc.
- Determine and review the entity's goals and policies.
- The board of advisors should consider the benefits and interests.
- Provide the opinion from where the entity will be sourced.
Board of Advisors Agreement
The board of advisors’ agreement is the registered formal legal agreement executed separately between the entity and each member. Some specific and general terms and conditions include tenure, fees, the nature of services provided, etc. Members are not employees/directors of the entity and have no power or control over it.
The following points should be part of the advisor's agreement: -
- Parties and Purpose
- Background of the company
- Terms of the services
- Professional fees/remuneration and reimbursement of other expenses incurred for providing services to the entity.
- Confidential clause
- Date and signature of both the parties
How to Set Board of Advisors?
- An entity should prepare a policy for hiring the members of advisors on a contract basis and fix the number. For example, how many members are required for the board of advisors and for which department like finance, legal, sales, marketing, etc.?
- One should select per the current market scenario, challenges, the economic condition of the country, and industry analysis.
- The entity should research and document the positive market feedback for selecting the board of advisors.
- The entity's key persons should conduct the interviews and ask the same questions that verify the persons are okay for the board of advisors and discuss the remuneration so that entity can take the final decision for selection and save the indirect expenses.
Importance
- They help resolve the business issues and provide expert opinions on the entity's affairs asked by the management.
- Provide advice/ suggestions on maximizing the profit and wealth of the entity.
- It plays a vital role in the growth of the entity.
Board of Advisors vs Board of Directors
| Description | Board of Advisors | Board of Directors |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | It is an informal group of people who provide a professional opinion to its management. | It is a formal group of persons who offer their entity services. |
| Relationship | There is no direct relationship with the entity. The agreement is executed on a contractual basis with external persons. | The direct relationship between employer-employee relation, i.e., employment basis. In addition, these are internal persons. |
| Voting Rights | The board of advisors has no right to vote. | Voting rights are given to the board of directors. |
| Remunerations | Fixed as per agreement. | Fixed as per the appointment letter offered. |
| Terms | The terms are flexible. | The terms are set. |
| Selection Process | The board of directors selects them. | The shareholders choose them. |
| Responsibility | They provide their opinion based on professional knowledge and experience. | They are directly responsible for the entity whatever they are doing in employment. |
| Work Profile | Their work is defined in the advisory agreement. | Their work is described in the appointment letter. |
Advantages
- It increases the stakeholder confidence in the entity.
- The entity gets an expert opinion from the advisors to consider new proposals/expansions.
- Increase the goodwill and brand of the entity in the market and industry.
- They share opinions/advice/suggestions after studying the current market, competitor's product knowledge, etc.
- Share opinions for increasing profit and wealth maximization of the entity.
Disadvantages
- It provides the only idea with a subjective basis. The view shared by advisors can be considered or not as it depends on key persons of the entity.
- Advisors do not have a direct interest/benefit in the company, so they provide the advice/suggestions basis their knowledge and experience.
- They are not liable for any loss or liability of the entity as they are not employed.
Conclusion
- Every entity should hire a board of advisors on a contract basis that provides their expert opinion/advice/suggestions to manage and grow its market share and reduce the board of directors’ burden.
- If an entity does not want to involve external persons in the entity’s affairs, it should hire employees with expertise in the same field to fulfill the requirement of the board of advisors.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The board of advisors for startups is essential because it provides guidance, support, and expertise to the company's management team, helping them make informed decisions, and potentially providing access to valuable resources and networks.
The salary of a board of advisors can be quite variable and depends on a number of factors, such as the size of the company, the industry, and the level of expertise required. Some board members may receive a fixed salary, while others may receive compensation in the form of equity or stock options.
The positions on a board of advisors can vary depending on the needs of the company. Common positions include industry experts, investors, entrepreneurs, and executives with relevant experience and expertise. The board may also include advisors with legal, financial, or technical knowledge.
Recommended Articles
This article is a guide to the Board of Advisors. In addition, we discussed the board of advisors' definition, function, advantages, and disadvantages. Also, we provided a guide to the board of advisors agreement and the differences between the board of directors and the board of advisors.
