As 2011 ends, it is time to look both back and ahead. For the past few years, Chris Gullibeau has ended each year with an annual review on his popular blog, The Art of Non-Conformity. This year he challenged others to do the same. What a great idea! So, challenge accepted. Thanks to Chris! Following […]
Here are four web sites that specialize in consulting which you may find useful. I’m sure there are more — please let me know if you have favorites to share. –Summit Consulting Group – www.summitconsulting.com– Alan Weiss, Ph.D. – Focus on taking successful practices to the next level. Strong emphasis on management/business consulting. Dr. Weiss […]
If referrals are golden, then multiple referrals are platinum! As you become established, cultivating referrals should be a high priority. Here is a personal example, just published in Million Dollar Referrals, the latest book by Alan Weiss. When asked for examples of “greatest referrals” earlier this year, I responded with the following story. It is […]
Speaking can be a good lead generator, as long as you are in front of the right audience. The secret is to identify your ideal clients, so you don’t waste your time in front of the wrong groups. Focus on your target niches — specialty, geography, industry, and type of business (B2B, B2C, B2G) Speaking […]
As part of a special session at a recent engineering symposium, I gave a half hour talk titled “So You Want to be a Consultant? — Four Key Questions.” Being the last speaker in the last session on the last day, I did not expect much of a turnout. Apparently the symposium organizers felt the […]
As the Boy Scouts say… be prepared! Because Dave was prepared, he was able to make a rewarding career change to consulting after unexpectedly losing his job. Dave’s experience was a actually a catalyst for Kimmel Gerke Associates. I knew Dave casually, and my business partner was pretty good friends with him. It was the […]
In 1996, I mentioned to a client that I was toying with a move to Arizona. He commented, “My Dad always wanted to do that. Every year he and Mom would go to Arizona, and look for just the right place to eventually retire.” Excited, I asked, “Wow! Did he finally do it?” My client […]
Like it or not, age often matters in marketing a consulting practice. Age also matters in customer perceptions, as evidenced by the following examples. Real Life Story # 1 – Floyd, a fellow engineer, was going to law school at night. At the time, he was in his mid 40s, and I was in my […]
For this month, I’ve selected What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard Bolles. Updated almost every year since it was first written in 1970, this is often recognized as the Bible of job hunting. The analogy is certainly appropriate, as the author is an ordained Episcopalian priest. The catalyst for writing the book was his […]
When I left my last corporate job at Intel (the day the market crashed in 1987), I stopped by the division General Manager’s office to say goodbye. The GM, known as “Rocky”, was a good guy with a sometimes wicked sense of humor. We chatted a bit, and he wished me well in the new […]
Will writing a book help your consulting practice? In my experience, yes! But it is a lot of work, and not something I recommend to those just starting out. Unless you have materials already (such as class notes or a bunch of research), better to start small and consider a full blown book when better […]
Learned this lesson the hard way, at a cost of several thousand dollars. You’re getting it here for free. This story goes back to 1981 and my early days as a part-time consultant. IBM had just introduced the PC. Our major client, a vocational school, asked for an evening class that focused on how to […]
Since I selected an Independence Day motif for my blog, it is only appropriate to offer some Independence Day musings. As stated elsewhere, freedom was a major motivator in my JumpToConsulting. But I didn’t realize it right away. Rather, that epiphany came a few months later. Driving back from a client and listening to the […]
Have some fun… do some good… make some money. The perfect consulting project meets all three criteria. Two out of three is still often OK, and on occasion, I’ve even stooped to one out of three. But these are three criteria by which I judge potential consulting projects. Have some fun… For me, this is […]
When dealing with prospects or clients, age is a very important parameter. One size (or approach) does not fit all. According to many authors, there are four major age groups that coexist today, each with their own distinct culture and ways of doing things. All were influenced by the conditions when they were growing up. This […]
Do you need a website, particularly if you are just starting out in consulting? YES! Just like you need business cards, letterhead, envelopes, and some sort of brochure. Not only does a web site (and other simple collateral) provide information, but it shows that you are serious about being in business. Think of your web […]
Adding a new category to this blog — Encouragement. The original intent of this blog was to provide “nuts and bolts” information for those considering making the JumpToConsulting. You know — if you just knew how to do it (or how others had done it), the rest would be a piece of cake. But recently […]
This resource review covers three books by best selling author Guy Kawasaki. The original intent was to review his latest book, Enchantment. But after reading it, I decided to include two more books: The Art of the Start, and Reality Check. These three nicely combine both the practice and the philosophy of starting businesses. They […]
Sick and tired of your daily commute? Ever dreamed of running a consulting firm from a cabin in the mountains or a condo on the beach? Or maybe an RV, or even an overseas location? Well, some people are doing that already, as “location independent consultants.” Thanks to the Internet and other advances in technology […]
Consultants come in all types of sizes, shapes, and specialties. However, most fall into one of two broad categories — management consultants or technical consultants. While both provide services and advice aimed at helping the client, there are some significant differences. As a consulting engineer, I am more familiar with the technical category. Nevertheless, I’ve […]
