Become a consultant
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By Andréa Coutu Consult ing Want to become a consulta nt? Andréa Coutu Consultant Journal
description
Looking for help with your consulting business? Perhaps you’re new to the game or you’d like to get clarity about the direction you’ve taken with your existing business. Contact Consultant Journal For Help
Transcript of Become a consultant
By Andréa Coutu
ConsultingWant to become a consultant?
Andréa CoutuConsultant Journal
GettingSTARTED• Ready to start your own business and become a consultant?• You’ve made it past the first hurdle – choosing a business.• Now, to make your dream come true and become a consultant,
you need to set up shop.
Got the consultingSPIRIT?• Before becoming a independent consultant,
consider whether you’re really suited to it.• Think about whether you’d enjoy working
from home — or whether you should rent a desk or office.
• Doing a personal inventory is a great way to assess your consulting potential. (We have one called Discover Your Inner Consultant.)
Choose your consultingFIELD
Identify what kind of consultant you
want to be
Take inspiration from your job
and work history
Look onlineand in books
for ideas
Doing a personalINVENTORY
Profile your those points in depth
Review your job history
Determine what stands out as an option
List your skills & experience
Think about hobbies, interests, work history, knowledge, volunteer and work experience. Group together common themes.
Finding a recurringTHEME• Look at your skills, experience and your local
industry and market – does anything stand out?• Consider existing businesses – can you fill a
market gap, specialize or go global?• Could you deliver better, more responsive or
higher value consulting than others?• Can you add value by bundling products, adding
extras or cross-selling?
Building yourBUSINESS PLAN• Once you've figured out what kind of
consultant you want to be, you need to figure out how to turn your idea into a profitable business.
Key business planCONTENT
Business Setup
Business Environment
Marketing
Operations
Finance
Key business planCONTENT
Business Setup
Business setup – how you'll operate – as a sole proprietor, partnership, corporation…
Key business planCONTENT
Business EnvironmentBusiness environment – the laws, competitors, trends and other influences you face
Key business planCONTENT
Marketing
Marketing – how you’ll attract and keep clients
Key business planCONTENT
Operations
Operations – how you’ll run your business
Key business planCONTENT
Finance Finance – how much money you’ll need to start, run and grow your business
Making the nextMOVE• Made it through all these steps?• Completed some basic research?• Done your homework?• You’re ready to launch your consulting business
– and start working from home or an office!
FREE HELPfor your consulting business• Get help on the way!• Visit ConsultantJournal.com for free tips, tools
and articles – whether you want to become a consultant or grow an existing business
