5 Tips to Influence a Business Case (When You Don’t Control the Budget)
blog/5-tips-to-influence-a-business-case-when-you-dont-control-the-budget
2025-02-06
You see a clear need for consulting support, but there’s one problem—you don’t control the budget.
Whether you have bottlenecks in your processes and technology or simply don’t have the resources in-house, convincing leadership to invest in a solution requires more than just a good idea; you need a solid business case that speaks their language.
Here are five practical ways to make your case more compelling.
5 Tips to Influence a Business Case:
1. Align with Business Objectives
Executives prioritize initiatives that contribute to key business goals.
Frame your proposal in terms of ROI, employee retention, productivity, or upskilling.
Instead of saying, "We need consulting support," position it as, "This investment will reduce manual work by X%, allowing HR to focus on strategic initiatives that improve retention."
When your ask is tied to measurable business outcomes, it’s harder to ignore.
Before pitching your idea, research your organization’s strategic goals—whether it’s revenue growth, cost reduction, customer satisfaction, or innovation.
Frame your business case as a solution that directly supports these objectives.
Use data and metrics to show how your idea contributes to the bigger picture.
2. Quantify the Problem
Numbers tell a stronger story than opinions.
How much time are you (or your team) spending on inefficient processes?
What’s the cost of inaction?
If a repetitive manual task takes 10 hours a week, that’s over 500 hours a year—hours that could be redirected toward higher-value work.
The more data you can present, the easier it is to justify the investment.
Even if you don’t control the budget, you can still demonstrate the financial impact of your proposal.
Build a clear ROI model that outlines the costs, benefits, and payback period. Be realistic but optimistic—show how the investment will pay off over time.
Examples:
Error Rates & Rework
How often do mistakes occur due to outdated processes or manual work?
If payroll errors lead to corrections in 5% of cases, how much time and money is spent fixing them?
Employee Turnover & Engagement
Are inefficiencies frustrating employees and leading to burnout or turnover?
If turnover costs an average of 30% of an employee’s salary, what’s the impact of losing even a few key people?
Pro Tip: Use benchmarks or case studies from similar projects to strengthen your argument. If you can show that others have succeeded with a similar approach, you’ll build credibility.
3. Present a Clear and Actionable Solution
A vague request won’t gain traction.
Decision-makers want specifics: What’s the solution? How much will it cost? What’s the timeline? What resources are required?
Lay out a concrete plan that demonstrates you’ve thought through the details.
If you’ve already identified a consulting partner, mention their expertise and success with similar projects.
4. Anticipate Concerns Before They’re Raised
Budget constraints, resource limitations, and implementation challenges are common pushbacks. Be prepared with answers:
Budget: Can the cost be spread across departments? Is there an ROI that justifies the spend?
Resources: Can implementation be phased in to minimize disruption?
Execution: Have other companies successfully implemented similar solutions?
Proactively addressing objections increases your credibility and makes leadership more confident in your proposal.
5. Offer Alternatives (and Show the Cost of Doing Nothing)
Decision-makers often need to visualize the impact.
Paint two pictures—one with the proposed solution and one without.
If nothing changes, what risks remain? Are there compliance risks, inefficiencies, or competitive disadvantages?
Make it clear that staying the same has a cost, too.
Examples:
Showcase the long-term effect on satisfaction (i.e., If manual HR processes delay onboarding by two weeks, how does that affect new hire engagement and productivity?).
Help decision makers see both sides:
“If we invest in this solution we fix [problem], save time, and improve [key benefit].” If we don’t, we keep losing [time/money/productivity].
Ready to Take the Next Steps?
Once your business case is approved, execution is key.
Red Pill Labs specializes in technology strategy and project management, ensuring your chosen solution is implemented effectively to deliver real results.