Another year has gone by, and once again it is time to reflect. Got this idea from Chris Gullibeau of The Art of Nonconformity. He does this each year, and last year challenged others to do the same. Great idea! Once again, I’ll review three categories: JumpToConsulting (www.jumptoconsulting.com) EMI-GURU aka Kimmel Gerke Associates, Ltd. (www.emiguru.com) […]
Merry Christmas, from our family to yours! Thanks for your support, and for just riding along. Hope you will join us 2013. Peace — Daryl & Mary
This post was written in response to a troll. Did not post his comment, but he did inspire this little missive. Did you ever notice that there are no statues for critics? President have them. Statesmen have them. Military heroes have them. Even business leaders have them. But NOT critics. Hmmm… there must be a […]
If you like teaching (Lead Generator #11), you may consider developing and presenting your own materials. Due to the considerable start up efforts, however, I don’t recommend this for brand new consultants. Other marketing methods usually provide faster results with less work and money. This is an excellent method to consider, however, after you become […]
I once posed that question to an attorney, about the time we were starting out in consulting. I knew this was not going to be an overnight success, but was curious about what to expect. The attorney had run his own small practice for many years, so I figured he was a good person to […]
To share, or not to share – that is the question. (With my apologies to William Shakespeare.) Two schools of thought. One says YES, the other NO. (You say tom-A-to, I say tom-AH-to.) Who is right? Well, it depends — on you and your overall objectives. NO to free advice. As Abraham Lincoln said, “A […]
When making several career changes (including my own Jump to Consulting), I often justified my actions with “Well, I don’t want to wake up one morning and discover that I am 60 years old, and I never did that…” Well, I’m now past 60, and guess what — I am damn glad I took those […]
Two bank accounts — financial and experience… Can’t remember where I first heard this story, so I can’t credit the original author. But I found the idea so compelling I wanted to share my version here. Once upon a time, there were two consultants, John and Bob. Both had unique expertise of value to clients. […]
When Mary (my bride of 40+ years) came into my office, she looked sad. “Whats wrong?” I asked. “Upon opening a Christmas card,” she replied, ” I just learned that an old high school friend died suddenly this past year. The one we meant to visit. ” Her friend lived in Las Vegas, and for […]
Monday, October 19, 1987… the day the stock market crashed… was also my first day as a full time consulting engineer with the company I confounded. The crash was scary, but we obviously survived. Now we just reminisce that the first day in business was the worst day in business. It has been better ever […]
Just finished reading this book. A great resource for anyone (including consultants and wannabe consultants) seeking financial freedom along with occupational freedom. This is the latest book by Dr. Thomas Stanley, author of the bestsellers The Millionaire Next Door and The Millionaire Mind. Unlike too many financial guides with their special formulas on getting rich, […]
Life is way to short and goes by way too fast. Or, as Bob Parson, the founder GoDaddy says, “We’re not here for a long time, we’re here for a good time!” ” See Rule 16. Good advice from a very successful businessman (twice over) who also enjoys life!
Teaching can be a great lead generator. It is how I got started in consulting over thirty years ago, and it continues to a nice source of business and income today. Here are five good reasons to consider teaching. 1 – You can begin right away. You don’t need to do extensive marketing or build […]
To be avoided at all costs! Your credibility and reputation depend on avoiding even the hint of a conflict of interest. Your primary responsibility is to your client. Period. No ifs — ands — or buts. Keep your mouth shut about their business, and protect their proprietary information. If something just doesn’t feel right, then […]
Been a while since I did a resource review. For this month, I’ve selected the Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. It seems appropriate, since happiness (as in job/career satisfaction )is a common goal for those making a JumpToConsulting. Recently picked this book up at the Omaha airport (Go Huskers…) Although vaguely aware of the book […]
Great advice! Saw this today at the gym where I work out. If you REALLY want to do something, you’ll find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse. So how about it — do you REALLY want to start your own business? If it is a consulting practice, we’ll help you find the way. […]
When you finally make client contact (marketing becomes sales), you often need simple stuff you can hand out or mail – business cards, brochures, folders, letterhead, envelopes, labels, etc. Since these create first impressions of your business, they should be an integral part of your sales and marketing process. These items are often referred to […]
Not really… Who says you need to grow to be successful? Children grow, but then they stop growing (physically) when they are “grown up.” The question was posed by a fellow business owner in the mid 1990’s. Thanks to new government regulations, our business was booming. Our plates were filled, and other consultants were actually asking […]
This is a response to Jim, who commented on “Are Engineers Really in Demand.” Thought this deserved a blog post, rather than just a response from me. Of all the things that offer consulting opportunities Engineering, with the exception of Civil, is way down on the list. With all the non disclosure agreements and req […]
Today this Baby Boomer declares he is OFFICIALLY SEMI-RETIRED… For the past several years, I’ve been grappling with my occupational status. Thanks to the recession, consulting activities have been less than full time, meaning I had more free time. Discovered I rather enjoyed that. But when people assumed I was retired, I’d correct them. Guess […]
