Home: Message List - How to start a career as a consultant?

Re: How to start a career as a consultant?

michael2 — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:50:06 GMT

I have the same conviction and we seem to be at the same point in the process Can we exchange notes? Please

Re: How to start a career as a consultant?

galexa — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 06:46:15 GMT

A business interest or passing phase?

We have all had notions or ideas about going into business, the areas of concentration business is marketing whether it be in the local perodical or becoming a member of your local Chamber of Commerce, exposure in any sense if good sense.

Re: How to start a career as a consultant?

Lighthouse24 — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 06:51:20 GMT

Just wondering about your progress . . . have you gotten your practice off the ground yet?

Re: How to start a career as a consultant?

marktingcoach — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 01:02:28 GMT

My offer was to sit with you and provide free advice regarding your initial questions which included marketing, getting more clients, and getting your service off the ground. As someone who has built from scratch and then sold two successful businesses, I think I can offer advice on more than just marketing. I am also a director on the Central Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce and may be able to connect you with people you may want to meet. In any case, the offer still stands.

Good luck.

Peter George, The Marketing Coach
ThinkTouchPoints.com

Re: How to start a career as a consultant?

RMM618 — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:24:01 GMT

Luckiest,
I've visited the SCORE site, but haven't explored it thoroughly. I have spoken to the SBDC in RI though and they provided some helpful information.

Re: How to start a career as a consultant?

RMM618 — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:22:34 GMT

Thank you to everyone for your responses.

Peter, I don't think I'm at a place yet where I need to work on increasing my marketing. I'm just starting out and think that would probably be more helpful when I've established myself a little. Thank you for your offer to meet.

Lighthouse24,
I didn't think of contacting the groups I've worked with and taking that approach. That's probably a good idea because I have strong relationships with several prominent nonprofits and I'm sure they would be able to suggest some companies and/or individuals to approach.

Re: How to start a career as a consultant?

Lighthouse24 — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 06:08:53 GMT

1. Think of all the community or non-profit groups with whom you have a contact who serves in a senior leadership role.
2. Ask those contacts to name the local businesses from which they would like to see better "citizenship" (such as more active volunteer participation).
3. Approach the managers of those companies, persuade them to become better corporate citizens, and then teach them how.

The fastest way to gain experience, recognition, and credibility as a consultant is by finding solutions to the problems no one else is willing to take on. (I'm not belittling your background, but it is not all that difficult to find, train, and coordinate volunteers from companies that are already eager to help out in the community anyway.) Every community has one or two sizable employers who are notoriously bad citizens, and rarely give anything more than excuses. Figure out how to "turn" one of them, then do it successfully, and other people will be buying your lunch for the next year just to hear how you pulled it off. Plus, turning one bad corporate citizen into a good one will get you more credibility (and get it much faster) than turning ten good corporate citizens into better ones.

Hope this helps. Best of luck!

Re: How to start a career as a consultant?

marktingcoach — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:37:40 GMT

Hi RMM,

I am a marketing consultant and coach and am located in Warwick. If you would like to get together for a cup of coffee and discuss what you are looking to accomplish, I would be happy to meet with you.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Peter George, The Marketing Coach

Re: How to start a career as a consultant?

DomainDiva — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 14:51:56 GMT

When I started markeing myself as a consultant I first identified the people/businesses that would really benefit from my services.

I got a huge list and prepared an executive resume/marketing handout and started on the telephone. If someone was interested from a phone call then I would send them some info.

It took about 120 days..when the first call came in everything has snowballed and I have been busy for 12 years...straight...all consulting. I would not know what to do if I had a real job.

Re: How to start a career as a consultant?

LUCKIEST — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 14:30:59 GMT

Two suggestions to "sell" yourself as a consultant.
1) Your marketing emphasis needs to be as little about you as possible,
and it needs to be everything
about your potential clients, their
wants, and their needs. If you do this, your inexperience will
eventually
take care of itself.
2) Visit SCORE on line. They have many suggestions on how to succeed in marketing and as a consultant.
Again, LUCKIEST