The new consultant's quick start guide : an action plan for your first year in business / Elaine Biech.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Biech, Elaine, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Consultants.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (291 pages)

Edition:

1st edition

Place of Publication:

Hoboken, New Jersey : Wiley, [2019]

System Details:

text file

Summary:

An action plan for working as a consultant Management consulting is a $250 billion industry and growing at a rate of over four percent annually. Many predict that more than 40 percent of the U.S. workforce will soon be contingent, freelance, or consulting members of the workforce—making this book more relevant than ever. Individuals become independent consultants out of necessity or preference: necessity because they lost their job or the company offered an attractive exit package; preference because they want a career change, more control over their time, or an enriched, varied work situation. Consulting also appeals to the Millennial workforce who are searching for careers that offer a good salary as well as meaningful work. The New Consultant’s Quick Start Guide: • Serves as a companion to The New Business of Consulting • Provides you with a place to plan your transition into consulting • Helps you identify your niche, develop a business plan, charge what you’re worth, and create a marketing strategy to ensure a steady stream of clients • Prepares you for changes you will encounter beyond your professional life, including social, family, and financial aspects The New Consultant’s Quick Start Guide helps you work through the challenges of consulting such as working alone, deciding on necessary insurance coverage, finding your first clients, struggling with cash flow, and understanding market trends.

Contents:

Intro

The New Consultant's Quick Start Guide

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Why This Guide?

Why Consulting?

Who Will Find This Guide Useful?

How to Use This Guide

1 First Things First: Why Consulting?

Chapter Overview

Consulting: What Is It?

Why a Consulting Career?

Explore Your Experiences

Inventory Your Competencies

Skills and Knowledge Required of Consultants

Assess Your Consulting Aptitude

Are You a Match for the Profession?

Pull It Together: Your Initial Consulting Focus

Entrepreneur Attitude: Do You Have What It Takes?

Quick Start Action: Questions to Ask a Consultant

Quick Start Lists

2 Planning Your Consulting Future

Your Preferred Future

Describe Your Ideal Day

Describe Your Future

Will Consulting Lead You to Your Life Goals?

Why Are You Considering Consulting?

Your Responses and Things to Ponder

Your Goals and Consulting

Professional, Financial, Personal, and Health Considerations

Professional Considerations

Financial Considerations

Personal Considerations

Health Considerations

Identify the Changes You Will Need to Make

Professional Changes

Financial Changes

Personal Changes

Health Changes

Quick Start Action: Create Your Personal Expense Plan

3 Dollars and Sense

Establish a Start-Up Budget

Put a Price on Your Head

Five Reasons You Are a Good Investment

Calculate Required Revenue

How Much Money Do You Require?

How Much Will Clients Pay?

Before Moving On

Fill Out Financial Forms

Quick Start Action: Setting Your Fee

So What's It Take to Get Off the Ground?

What Will It Cost?

Where Will I Find the Money?

4 Taking Care of Business

Getting Started

What's in a Name?.

Choose the Right Name

Hire the Best Accountant and Attorney

Quick Start Action: Find an Accountant and Attorney

Determine Your Business Structure

Sole Proprietorship

Partnerships

Corporations

Limited Liability Structures

The Business Structure That's Best for You

Business Entity Selection Worksheet

Explore Your Banking and Insurance Needs

Bank on Good Advice

Insure Your Success

My Business Insurance Needs

Check Local Zoning Laws, Licenses, and Taxes

File Legal Documentation

Quick Start Action: Your First To-Do List

5 Your Business Plan

Are Business Plans Really Necessary?

Evaluating Your Responses

Write Your Plan

Cover Page

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Business Description

Market Analysis

Competitive Analysis

Organization and Management Plan

Marketing and Sales

Service or Products

Financial Projections

Appendices

Printing Your Business Plan

Plan to Use Your Business Plan

Quick Start Action: Plan a Review

6 Make the Switch Painlessly

Gain Consulting Experience Before Leaving Your Job

Practice Being an Entrepreneur

Discussions with Your Boss

Determine Your Transition Plan

How Will You Transition to Your New Professional Life?

What Transition Issues Are Ahead?

What Personal Transitions Will You and Your Family Make?

Where Will the Money Come From?

Personal Financial Statement

Quick Start Action: Plan with Your Family

7 Setting Up Your Office-or Not

Office Location Options

Renting Office Space

Sharing Executive Suites

Using a Home Office

No Office at All

Weighing Your Op

Set Up Your Office

An Office Is an Office, Not Your Family Room.

Furnishing Your Office

Planning Your Technical Needs

Supplying Your Office

Paper, Paper Everywhere!

File, Don't Pile

Establishing Your Record-Keeping System

Electronic Financial Records

Staying Organized

What About a Website?

Quick Start Action: The App Age

8 Finding Clients

Determine Your Market Niche

Who?

What?

Where?

When?

Why?

Is There a Need?

Quick Start Action: Is There a Client Base?

Analyze Your Call

Who's Your Competition?

Know Your Industry

Know Your Competition

Know Yourself

Your Niche

Identify Your First Clients

Land Your First Work

Warm Up Your Cold Calls

Reviewing Results

What About the Referrals You've Received?

A Dozen Quick Prospecting Ideas

You Have an Appointment-Now What?

What to Ask Potential Clients

Follow Up After Every Meeting

Quick Start Action: Make a Sale to Solve a Problem

9 Marketing

What Is Marketing?

The ABCs of Marketing

Assess Your Situation

Build a Client Base

Contact Potential Clients

Create Your Marketing Plan

Step 1: Analyze the Present

Step 2: Clarify Your Strategy

Step 3: Set Measurable 6- to 12-Month Goals

Step 4: Select Marketing Tactics to Accomplish Your Goals

Step 5: Identify Resources

Step 6: Develop an Annual Marketing Activity Calendar

Step 7: Implement Your Plan

Step 8: Monitor Your Results and Adjust as Needed

Build Your Marketing Plan

Step 7: Implement Your Plan.

Step 8: Monitor Your Results and Adjust as Needed

Marketing on a Shoestring Budget

What About Internet Marketing?

Quick Start Action: Grab Attention with Your Headlines

Write Winning Proposals

Steps to Writing a Proposal

Writing the Proposal

Track Your Clients

Tips to Become a Better Marketer

10 Surviving the First Year

Take Care of Your Health

Manage Your Time

The Big Jobs

Do the Hardest First

Invoice Ease

Tickler Files

Establish Good Business Habits

The Basics

Financial Advice

Client Counsel

Delight Your Clients

Balance Your Life

Identify Any Imbalance

Make Your Own Rules

Enjoy the Doing

Take Time Off

Identify Other Interests

Take Advantage of Being Your Own Boss

Manage Your Balance

Did You Hear the One About the Consultant . . . ?

Why Ethics?

Developing a Personal Ethics Statement

11 So, Now What? Year Two and Beyond

Assess Your Progress

Quick Start Action: Review Your First Year with Your Family

Plan Your Next Steps

Professional

Financial

Personal

Bring It All Together

Quick Start Action: Review Your First Year with a Colleague

ebb's 13 Truths to Ponder

Electronic Resources

Reading List

About the Author

Index

EULA.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-119-55691-0

1-119-55695-3

OCLC:

1101043793