The Business of Consulting

The Basics and Beyond

Elaine Biech

Publisher: Jossey-Bass, 1999 , 246 pages

ISBN: 0-7879-4021-6

Synopsis:

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The First Day-to-Day Guidebook for Consultants!

Consulting is one of the fastest growing careers around. Lacking a basic primer, many consultants have had to learn their jobs by trial and error. Now you can put an end to the guesswork. This how-to book gives you the actual tools and techniques you need in order to pursue a successful and profitable career in the world of consulting.

Table of Contents:

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• List of Exhibits
• Foreword Richard Y. Chang
• Preface
• ONE: What Are You Getting Yourself Into?
• What Is Consulting?
• Five Ways to Get Started
• Why Consulting Now?
• Myths About Consulting
• rewards and realities f Consulting
• Just What Are You Getting Yourself Into?
• TWO: Talents and Tolerance
• Skills for Success
• Personal Characteristics of Successful Consultants
• Roles You May Play
• Sign of a Mediocre Consultant
• Your Personal Situation
• The Transition into Consulting
• Caution: Business Owner Ahead
• Entrepreneurial Chacteristics
• THREE: Dollars and Sense
• How Much Money Do You Require?
• How Much Should You Charge?
• Selecting a Pricing Structure
• Other Pricing Decisions
• Other Charges
• Fee Increases
• Ethics of Pricing
• Money Discussions
• Value of a Guarantee
• FOUR: Starting ...
• Selecting an Accountant
• Business Structure
• Business Plans
• Start-Up Costs
• Your Niche
• Your Image
• Experience
• FIVE: ... And Staying in Business
• A Marketing Plan
• Surprising but Practical Thoughts on Marketing
• 113 Tactics for Low-Budget Marketing
• Potential-Clients Contacts
• Proposals and Contracts
• How to Refuse an Assignment
• Ways to Stay in Business
• SIX: The Cost of Doing Business
• Plan for the Worst
• Watch Your Cash Flow
• Track Expenses
• Set Aside Petty Cash
• Charge Your Client
• Project Revenues
• Deal with Bad Debts
• Keep an Eye on Your Numbers
• Consider Capital Investments
• SEVEN: Building a Client Relationship
• The First Meeting
• Four Phases of Building a Client-Consultant Partnership
• How to Improve the Relationship Continuously
• It's the People
• How to Maintain the Relationship After the Project
• More Value for the Client
• EIGHT: Growing Pains
• Adding People
• Growing Without Increasing Payroll
• Doing Everything You Can to Grow Your Current Business
• NINE: The Ethics of the Business
• Consultant to Client
• Consultant to Consultant: Subcontracting
• Client to Consultant
• Code of Ethics
• TEN: Exude Professionalism
• Measuring Up
• Continuing to Learn
• Balancing Your Life and Your Business
• Managing Your Time
• Giving Back
• ELEVEN: Do You Still Want to Be a Consultant?
• A Week in a Consultant's Life
• Visualizing Success
• Taking Action
• Getting Ready