Choosing how to keep up with rule changes? Here's a straight comparison from the team behind ScanToComply — including the cases where we're honestly not the best option — with links to official sources.
The short answer: They do different jobs. A consultant gives you tailored professional advice: audits, paperwork, remediation plans, representation — things ScanToComply does not do. ScanToComply does one thing a consultant typically won't: watch the official government, council and regulator pages for your trade and city every single day and alert you the moment something changes — most owners choose the Pro plan at £19.99/month. Many businesses sensibly use both: a consultant for setup and complex questions, monitoring for staying current in between.
A good consultant walks your premises, reads your paperwork, and tells you what's wrong with your specific setup — then helps you fix it. They can prepare you for an inspection, build your food safety management system, or handle a specific crisis. That's tailored professional judgement, and no alert service replaces it. If you have a complex problem right now, a consultant (or solicitor, for legal matters) is the right tool.
Consultant pricing varies widely by specialism and region — hourly rates, day rates and retainers are all common. There's nothing wrong with that cost when you need the expertise; the point is that it buys a snapshot: their advice is current as of the day they gave it.
Rules keep changing after the consultant leaves. Allergen labelling, waste rules, licensing requirements, product bans — recent years have seen all of these change with penalties attached from day one. Unless you're paying a consultant an ongoing retainer to watch for changes (few small businesses do), the watching falls back on you.
That continuous watching is exactly what ScanToComply automates: daily checks of the relevant official pages for your trade and city, plain-English SMS and email alerts, links to the official source. Most owners choose the Pro plan at £19.99/month, with a 14-day free trial and no card needed. Honest boundary: when an alert flags a complex change, the right next step may well be a call to your consultant — the alert makes sure that call happens in time.
ScanToComply watches the official government, council and regulator pages for your trade and city every day, and alerts you by SMS and email the moment something changes.
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No. It monitors official sources and alerts you to changes in plain English, always linking to the official page. For tailored advice on your specific situation, a qualified consultant or solicitor is the right choice.
Yes, and it's a sensible combination: a consultant for setup, audits and complex questions; ScanToComply to make sure you hear about rule changes the day they happen rather than at your next annual review.
It varies widely by specialism, region and engagement type — hourly, day-rate and retainer models are all common. Always get quotes for your specific needs. See our honest guide to consultant costs for what to ask.
Want the full picture for your trade or city? See our free compliance guides.
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