This is one of the most overlooked areas for new consultants. They focus on creating a website and logo, they get business cards printed, they set up their office space and they give themselves a catchy name. Then they go out and find clients. But there’s one big gap in this plan. Don’t Follow My …
Read MoreHow To Become a Consultant – Part 1: Right For You?
I could give you a soft and cuddly picture of how rosy the life of a consultant is – but that would just be a load of rubbish. Becoming a consultant, and a successful one to boot, isn’t for the faint of heart. Consultants Are Much Like Business Owners Very little in life and in …
Read MoreHow to introduce yourself – The KISS formula
KISS stands for “keep it simple stupid”. To make it as a consultant you need people to want to hire you. They need to see value in your offerings. And of course you must deliver. There’s another piece to this puzzle before all of those. It’s the magic that happens when you first introduce yourself …
Read MoreThe Best Consultants Course Out There
Okay, now that I have your attention let me get right to the point. I’m not going to suggest any specific consultants course in this post. WAIT, before you leave the page let me share some valuable advice with you. There are thousands of consultants courses out there. You can read a room full of …
Read MoreConsultant Time Management – You Gotta Do It
If you’re an independent consultant, time management will be one of the most critical areas to your consulting business. Why so important? You’ll know how long it takes you to complete each part of a project so you can quote it more accurately next time. You’ll know whether you need to ask for more money, …
Read MoreConsulting Retainer – May be the Best Way to Go
I guess the title is a bit misleading, a consulting retainer agreement with your client may or may not be the best way to go. It depends on many factors. But that’s what I’m going to explain… One of the biggest challenges you’ll face as a consultant, especially in the early days, is making your …
Read MoreEmail From A Professional? You Tell Me
We receive emails from companies and consultants that want to be listed in our site. Some offering advertising, others the promise of magically appearing on page one of Google, and others just want us to list or profile them. Yesterday we got an email that read: XYZ & Associates would like to be added to …
Read MoreConsulting Can Lead to Full-Time Work, If You Want It To
There’s a great post over on the Wall Street Journal blogs about how consulting can land you a full-time job. During tough economic times like these, getting an offer for full time work can seem like a blessing. Depending on your situation, it may or may not be. Clearly there are many disadvantages to going …
Read MoreA Big Marketing Mistake: The Cookie Jar Phenomenon
When I first got started in marketing consulting I was a voracious consumer of information. My mentality was to devour everything I could get my hands on. Surely the more “I knew” the better, right? Wrong. The more you know the worse off you may be. The problem with trying to dip your fingers in …
Read MoreThe Value of a True Work-Life Balance
Many of us fall into this trap at some point during our professional lives. The pile of “things to do” grows and grows until it feels like it’s going to hit the roof and topple all over us. Whether you’re a business consultant or business owner finding that right work-life balance is critical. We all …
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