Be a Successful Consultant: An Insider Guide to Setting Up and Running a Consultancy Practice

✍ Scribed by Susan Nash

• Publisher: Parkwest Publications
• Year: 2002
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 254
• Series: Small Business Start-ups
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This handbook aims to give you a complete understanding of the steps you need to take to create a successful consulting business. It shows you how to get started, how to get clients and how to stay organized. By reading this book you will be able to: define a clear strategic direction for your business; create an effective marketing strategy; raise finance, price your services and get paid; balance ongoing business with attracting new clients; and become a successful consultant.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 1
Be a Successful Consultant : An insider guide to setting up and running a consultancy practice......Page 4
Contents......Page 6
How to use this book......Page 10
What’s in this book?......Page 13
Getting Started......Page 16
The business environment in the new millennium......Page 18
The Shamrock Organization......Page 19
The new self- employed market......Page 20
Defining consulting......Page 21
Working for a consulting ¢ rm......Page 24
Case studies......Page 26
Checklist......Page 28
Being realistic about consulting......Page 29
Advantages and disadvantages of consulting......Page 30
Characteristics of successful consultants......Page 32
Consulting and the four temperaments......Page 41
So do people enjoy being self- employed?......Page 48
Checklist......Page 49
Why define ne your business before jumping in?......Page 51
Defining your vision......Page 52
Defining strengths and weaknesses......Page 56
Strengths and weaknesses window......Page 57
Identifying your unique selling proposition......Page 59
SWOT analysis......Page 61
Establishing key result areas......Page 64
Checklist......Page 72
Writing a business plan......Page 74
Deciding your legal structure......Page 81
Setting objectives......Page 85
Establishing milestones......Page 90
Organizing systems......Page 92
Checklist......Page 93
Getting Clients......Page 94
Creating your marketing plan......Page 96
Conducting market research......Page 98
Establishing marketing objectives......Page 101
Segmenting the market......Page 102
Defning your product or service: the first ‘ p’......Page 104
Deciding your promotional plan: the second ‘ P’......Page 109
Selecting distribution channels: the third ‘ P’......Page 117
Creating a marketing schedule......Page 122
Checklist......Page 124
Overcoming your fear of selling......Page 125
Understanding the sales process......Page 127
Establishing sales objectives......Page 130
Evaluating sales communication channels......Page 132
Preparing your 30- second commercial......Page 134
Using the telephone in selling......Page 136
Managing the sales meeting......Page 144
Adjusting your style to maximize sales......Page 149
Writing successful proposals......Page 152
What if the client says yes?......Page 156
Sample questions to ask......Page 157
Checklist......Page 160
Getting Money......Page 162
Estimating your start- up and ongoing costs......Page 164
Funding your business in the start- up phase......Page 167
Establishing financial objectives......Page 171
Creating revenue statements......Page 172
Creating cash flow statements......Page 174
Setting your billing rate......Page 176
Using different fee arrangements......Page 181
Limit your exposure to bad debts......Page 187
Charging for sub-contracting......Page 188
Checklist......Page 192
Getting Organized......Page 194
Setting up your office space......Page 196
Selecting equipment and support tools......Page 199
Identifying administrative resources......Page 205
Prioritizing between multiple projects......Page 207
Planning your activities......Page 211
Organizing your office work space......Page 216
Establishing organization/administration objectives......Page 220
Checklist......Page 221
Formalizing contracts......Page 222
Structure of consulting assignments......Page 224
Consulting project stages......Page 228
Establishing project objectives......Page 235
Checklist......Page 236
So what will you do now?......Page 237
The Four Preferences......Page 244
Further Reading......Page 250
Index......Page 252