General Consulting

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Consulting Workshop – Phoenix AZ…

You are invited to attend a one-half day consulting workshop on the Arizona State University campus on November 12, 2022. Cost is minimal ($25) and includes lunch.

This event is sponsored by the IEEE Consultants Network, of which I am a long time member. This is a kick-off to reactivate the Phoenix chapter.

Everyone is welcome… you do NOT need to be an IEEE member… nor do you need to live in Arizona… (Come visit – the weather is great!) This should be of interest to both those exploring consulting, as well as those currently consulting – part time or full time.

CLICK HERE for details and registration

Three presentations by experienced consultants, representing 100+ years of experience. Come learn from those of us who have done it, and are happy to share our advice.

My talk focuses on how to start a small consulting practice. The presentation has been done for numerous professional groups, and has even helped launch a few new consultants.

Here is a summary:

  • What: Consulting Workshop – Emphasis on those new or exploring consulting
  • When: Saturday, 12 November 2022, 7:30AM – 2 PM
  • Where: Arizona State University Memorial Union – Cococino Room
  • How Much: $25, includes lunch

CLICK HERE for details and registration.

Hope you can join us! A first step to making you own JumpToConsulting… 

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Four Pricing Rules…

Here are four pricing rules I shared as a comment a Blue Penguin Marketing, a favorite blog I follow.

–Always set your fees to make a profit — that way you can’t go broke
–Never cut fees — cut scope instead
–Don’t be greedy — a happy client will often come back for more
–If in doubt, quote the lowest price for which you would do the project — that way there are no regrets if you lose out.

More info on Blue Penguin Marketing in my blog post here. Michael is a guru of solopreneur marketing.


P.S. If you are serious about doing a newsletter, check out Create Exceptional Newsletters. Great on-line class — I did it myself a few years ago.

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A Marketing Gimmick That Worked…

Although not a big fan of marketing gimmicks, here is one that proved successful for us. Beer was involved…




The back story. When I moved to AZ in 1996, I ended up with a 602 phone number, while my business partner in MN had a 612 number. Furthermore, we had an answering service (also 612), and we knew this would cause confusion. 

Particularly for the poor saps receiving our wrong numbers. We discussed an 800 number, but then things got interesting.

We had already jokingly declared our selves as “EMI-GURUs” (EMI = Electromagnetic Interference, our engineering speciality), and thought that would be a good number. But while the 800 number was not available, the newly opened 888 number was. So we jumped on it.

In addition the phone number, we then secured the URL www.emiguru.com for a planned website, launched soon after.

Being on a roll, we even had a button made. We took the button to a trade show, and had people clamoring for them. Even our competitors were sporting them — all in good fun.

We knew we had a winner!

We later handed them out to clients and students— probably 5000 or more. On one occasion I walked into a test lab with a new client, and stuck on a cubicle wall was our button.

Needless to say it gave the client great confidence. (I made sure he went home with one.)

No, we did NOT copy the Staples business stores with their “Easy” button. I like to think they may have copied us 🙂

BTW it is red because I’m a graduate of the University of Nebraska — AKA “Big Red.”


Gimmicks can be tricky. As a professional, you don’t want to be seen as too silly. Overall, this was a great success.We were soon known across the US electrical engineering community as the “EMI-GURUs.” Easy to know how to contact us too. And people even pinned them in their cubicles for everyone to see.

For this and another successful gimmick, see Lead Generator #19 – Gimmicks. 


This post was inspired by the daily marketing letter from Graham McGregor of New Zealand. Been following him for years. Contact him here for more creative marketing ideas.


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From the Mailbag… Final Reports and Security…

Here is a recent question from blog reader regarding client reports:

I’m looking at moonlighting, and have been enjoying digging through your blog. So far I have one quick question – did you have to deal with securing your data or reports?

Was it was ever a concern for you? Did you just send any documents you created as Word or something similar?

Here is my response:

While I sent reports in PDF, I never encrypted them. But not a bad idea to do so if sensitive data is involved. My accountant does so with any financial or tax information.

For security, both Bill and I shredded client files three years after filing taxes. Our lawyer advised this to protect both us and clients from legal “fishing” if lawsuits were involved.

If sensitive, we would immediately ship the files to the client upon project completion. The sensitive cases were for “expert witness” cases (very few) and medical devices,

When we started in 1987 (pre-Internet) we sent typed reports, which usually ran 5-10 pages. We had a cover page, a single “Executive Summary” page (for management,) followed by the “Technical Details” with as many pages as needed.

These reports were on our letterhead and spiral bound. We then placed them in a presentation folder, which also included our brochure and business cards.

We followed the same format with PDF reports, and used electronic letterhead. If the client requested, we would also send a bound hard copy. In recent years, reports were electronic.

Although many consultants do not enjoy writing reports, in my opinion this is a very important final step in any consultation. You charge for your time, of course, but the reports are a final touch in marketing. They often lead to repeat business, even years later.

Be sure your contact information is on every page!


 

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Any Regrets About Jumping???

Here is an answer posted to the question “Any Regrets About Retiring Sooner?” at a private financial forum to which I belong. I thought the question applicable here regarding making a JumpToConsulting.

When my business partner was dying from cancer, I asked him if he had any regrets about our business. He replied with an ironic chuckle, “Maybe one. Perhaps we should have started the business sooner.”

This is not a sad story. We shared 28 years working together as partners in a small engineering consulting practice. We had a ball, and enjoyed the independence so much we often joked we were already retired. We both hit Financial Independence a few years after starting the business, but kept going just for the fun of it. BTW, we also took time off to enjoy life along the way.

Just suggesting you not wait too long to follow your dreams, retirement or otherwise. As the old saying goes, “Looking back, one does not regret what they did as much as what they did NOT do.”

The forum is an extension of a public blog esimoney.com (Earn-Save-Invest)  where readers share their goals and successes with financial independence. The blog includes over 300 interviews with millionaires, where we share what we did and how we did it. The 300 interview represent well over a half billion dollars of self made wealth. Check it out here.

While the blog is free, the forum has a fee and is currently closed, but it does open up once or twice a year. ESI has plenty of practical information for those interested in financial independence. Consulting is just one path.

Life is short… Have no regrets…


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Appearances Can Be Deceiving…a Humorous Personal Story…

Never judge a book by its cover, right? And never judge this consultant by what he is wearing – particularly on the weekend…

The more I thought about the following personal story, the more humorous it was to me. I hope you enjoy it too.

In my last post, I mentioned my wife breaking her hip. Happy to report she is now home and doing well.

In order to facilitate things, I decided to buy her a new set of wheels — a wheelchair. Not absolutely necessary, but it was a good move.

I first checked Amazon, but the model of interest would not be available for a week or more. On a hunch, I decided to check Craig’s list.

Lo and behold, there was the exact same model she was using in the transitional care facility — immediately available and about half price. And it was only four miles away. How much better could it get?

It was Sunday afternoon, I immediately respond, and yes, it was available. But it would be best if I picked it up right away. So I dropped everything and hustled over.

Not thinking, I grabbed my checkbook rather than the cash machine. Who uses cash these days anyway?

Here is where it becomes humorous. Not knowing the neighborhood, I arrive in my 25 year old Toyota and park next to a shiny brand new BMW in the driveway of a $1.5 million dollar town house.

Posh neighborhood on the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis.

The neighbors were having some sort of soiree of in the front yard, when this old guy (me) shows up. I was wearing ragged shorts and my free t-shirt with the motto “Life is Short – Do Stuff That Matters.”

Hadn’t shaved. Did I mention I’m missing a bunch of teeth awaiting dentures and eventually implants? The Beverly Hillbilly had arrived 🙂

The wheelchair was brand new, with a mileage of about 500 yards. When I whipped out the checkbook, the guy gets a pained look. “Did you not bring cash?” Oops.

I gave him a business card and assured him the check was good. He reluctantly took the check – probably not wanting to miss his sale. Turns out he was a realtor – and who knows – may have even needed the money.

As I left, I detected some “stink eye” from the neighbors. Pretty sure they told the seller he would never see his $250. In retrospect, I should have hit the cash machine, but doubt that would have changed the neighborhood reaction (which matters to me not at all.)

As I reflected on this, I found it more and more amusing. But then I also wondered how many of these young millennial “high fliers” were actually wealthy (net worth) or were just living a pseudo-glamoros lifestyle (aka “Keeping Up With the Jones.”)

This is not meant to be critical nor is it even my business, but I felt some sadness that the latter might be the case — at least for some of them. I remembered an early boss who was house poor (story #2) and trapped in his job.

Hope you enjoyed this, also hope it also provided some perspective. If you are reading my blog, you are probably  interested in becoming independent (occupational-financial-locational) just as I have. With rare exception, you don’t get there showing off and going deeper into debt.

PS – Shared this on a private financial forum (more details in the next post) and it generated many humorous responses. Many of us subscribe to a “stealth wealth” philosophy. This was the financial message of the Millionaire Next Door series by the late Dr. Stanley.


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© 2021 – 2022, https:. All rights reserved.

Should I Take a W-2 Project???

This post is in response to a question posed by the AICN (Alliance of  IEEE Consultant’s Networks.)

A company posted a “consulting position” on the Consultant’s Finder that sounded a lot like an employee (W-2) search. This prompted a discussion by members is this was appropriate for the site, and whether a consultant should even accept a W-2 project.

The general consensus was it was OK, but several of us had caveats. Here is my response:

Agree re posting. Looks like a W-2 situation, but if that is acceptable to respondents, fine. But has been pointed out, everything is negotiable.

Had that happen early in my consulting career, when a client responded to my quote (through a contracting firm) with a W-2. That was when the IRS first had their shorts in a knot about technical consultants. The contracting firm changed that to a 1099 project after I provided proof that I had multiple clients, web site, etc.

No problems, and it was all friendly. But I was willing to walk if we could not reach an agreement.

As a result, we adopted firm policies of NOT accepting W-2s, non-compete terms, or guarantees. In 35 years we never lost business, but sometimes it took a brief explanation. As independent consultants, we are free to run our businesses as we see fit.

My two cents… to each their own…

Daryl

BTW, if you are an engineering consultant, check out the Consultant’s Finder. This is sponsored by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers), the world’s largest technical professional association. The fee is nominal, and an excellent way to reach those searching for technical consultants.

Full Disclosure — I am a long time member of both the IEEE and the AICN, and can recommend both for technical consultants.


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Five Tips to Avoid Being Sued…

Good advice from Craig Thompson, JD/EE/PE, an engineering colleague turned attorney. I first met Craig many years ago as an engineer in Minnesota. He now practices patent law in Texas.

These five tips are from a recent mailing (comments are mine.)

(1) Create – and Use – Strong Contracts.

We used a few simple two page agreements, vetted by our attorney. One page of “boilerplate” and one page with specifics. Simple, but with enough details to clarify responsibilities and protect both us and our clients.

As such, we could turn out a engagement letter/agreement in minutes.

(2) Incorporate your business

Always a good idea, both for legal and marketing reasons. In the latter, is shows you are serious. But don’t do this yourself — use an attorney to make sure it is right.

(3) Standardize Policies and Procedures

We kept ours simple. Many were incorporated in the one-page “boilerplate” attached to our agreements. Since every client received a copy, we were consistent.

(4) Provide Top-Quality Customer Service

No need to say more. Do a great job — happy clients don’t sue. Address misunderstandings immediately. And if you screwed up (it happens) apologize and fix it.

(5) Purchase Liability Insurance 

Two types – general and professional liability (errors and omissions.) Discuss with your attorney, along with incorporation options. Both types are available from professional societies.

First, a disclaimer… Do NOT consider this legal advice. Rather, contact Craig (ThompsonPatentLaw.com) or your attorney of choice for professional help.

For more details… and Craig’s take on each tip, download his FREE REPORT here. It is short, sweet, and filled with good ideas.

Finally… Bill Kimmel and I had the pleasure of meeting Craig over lunch many years ago about the time he was starting out in patent law. It has been a pleasure to watch his firm grow. Although we never used his services for patents, he did provide a good referral for some trademark work. I’m delighted to pass Craig along as a resource.


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Insurance Question Updates…

During our most recent FREE Monthly Teleconference, questions were raised about insurance.  This led to an interesting discussion I thought best to share here.

But first, let me share some personal opinions on insurance. These are based primarily on an insurance class I took as an undergraduate engineering student. Although not a technical class, looking back it was one of the most valuable courses I took for the common sense advice it provided. Here were my general takeaways:

  • Be sure to insure the big risks. Buy what you need, but make sure you cover major risks that might bankrupt you. Consider umbrella policies, which are often inexpensive for the extra coverage they provide.
  • Self insure small risks. Take the largest deductible you can afford. Use the savings to add coverage at the high end if needed.
  • Shop around. Brokers can be helpful as they can search many companies. Dedicated agents can often save money by bundling policies, particularly personal insurance.
  • A good agent is worth their weight in gold. I consider my personal insurance agent a member of my business team, and am willing to pay a reasonable premium for service. Just as I do for other advisors — accounting, legal, financial.

Business Insurance – two types to consider – typical purchase options include business insurance brokers or professional societies.

–General Liability-– AKA business liability insurance, it covers costs for property damage claims against your business, and medical expenses if someone gets injured at your company. It does NOT cover malpractice (see below.) Often required by clients if you are going to be on-site. We carried this insurance.

–Professional Liability– AKA malpractice or “errors and omissions” insurance, it covers you and your company if you make a mistake in your professional services. On the advice of our attorney, we did not carry based on the nature of our work. But be sure to discuss with your attorney to determine if you need it.

Personal Insurance – four types to consider – typical purchase options include personal insurance agents or professional societies. The first will likely offer individual policies,  while the latter may offer group rates.

Medical Insurance — In my opinion, everybody should carry medical insurance. A catastrophic illness or accident could wipe you out. But don’t insure the small stuff. Instead go for the highest deductible you can afford. Consider “health savings accounts.”

Group plans are usually cheaper than individual plans, so check for plans though professional societies or similar organizations. If married with an employed spouse, simply go with their plan. Many of my consulting colleagues do the latter.

In my case, I went for an individual family policy with a high deductible. It was still pricy, but necessary. When I became eligible for Medicare, it was like getting a raise. One of the few benefits of growing older 🙂

–Life Insurance-– The goal here is to cover survivor needs for the foreseeable future. If you have dependents, yes, you need this. If not, or if you are older and/or financially independent, then may no longer be needed.

In my case, I carried two large term life policies when younger, but decreased coverage as I aged, the kids left home, and the mortgages were paid off. I have one remaining term policy with my professional society that decreases in value each year. It is relatively inexpensive so I keep it, although it may not make sense.

–Disability Insurance– Like life insurance, the goal is to provide income if you become incapacitated. A good idea if you have dependents, or if you are not financially independent and could not survive financially without your business income.

There are two flavors — short term and long term — the difference being the “waiting period.” I never carried short term, but carried long term with a six month waiting period. When I approached 62, I dropped it as I could apply for Social Security disability if needed.

–Personal Liability– Not business insurance, but good to have through your homeowner’s and auto policies. For extra coverage, consider a liability umbrella. Even several million dollars of umbrella coverage is pretty inexpensive. I consider it worthwhile to protect my net worth that I have worked hard to achieve.

The bottom line – Don’t fret about insurance. Rather, consider it a cost of doing business and a way of managing risk. The business premiums are normally tax deductible. Shop for rates – don’t over insure, but rather buy what you need at a comfortable level of risk.

Hope this very basic insurance review was helpful. More information here:


Disclaimer – This is not professional advice. If you have questions, ask your attorney or accountant for advice. (Always a good idea anyway.) Finally, don’t rely solely on insurance agents. As my financial advisor always says, “Never ask a barber if you need a haircut.” That said, I have found my insurance agents to be honest and helpful.


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© 2021, https:. All rights reserved.

A little marketing experiment that worked well…

Here is a follow on to a recent post about a marketing experiment shared with my colleagues at Teach Your Gift Pro.

Thought I would share a recent marketing experiment – a free one hour “Lunch & Learn” for as a sample of a multi-day technical class. Reminded me of a movie trailer.Worked well — we had 60+ prospective students for a $2000 course ($20K+ in house.) Minimal cost to promote. We used GoToWebinar but Zoom would work too. I suggest others consider this. Like getting free samples at Costco.

Been doing this class in-person for about ten years through a training company that markets to the defense industry. When COVID hit last year, we switched to virtual live on-line. I’m listed in their catalog which greatly simplifies my marketing. The fee split is fair — I just show up and teach. With on-line, no more travel — yea!

Thanks to Mirasee and the “Course builder’s Laboratory” the switch was a no brainer. Had to do a little reformatting, but otherwise very simple. Would have switched to on-line earlier but inertia (both mine and the market) kept things in-person. No going back now, and students prefer the new way too.

Now to share a little more success. Last year my class got a commendation from the Asst. Secretary of the US Navy. What a nice surprise that was. Also very gratifying as we learned we helped “keep them sailing.” A reminder that all our classes are more than just the $$$.  Best wishes everyone.

“Lunch & Learn” sessions can work for consulting too. We already used this method in our practice, often co-hosted with test laboratories. Mini-seminars with mutual marketing. Everybody liked them.

  • A variation on this theme are talks at professional society meetings. These groups are always looking for speakers, which often meant flying a speaker in for the occasion. As we were doing dozens of live courses around the country, we had a standing offer for evening talks whenever we were in the area. It was always fun, and good for business too.
  • Thanks to Zoom (and similar platforms) on-line sessions are becoming more popular, such as the examples I’ve just described. And there are always both live and recorded recorded webinars, like the FREE one on consulting I did in 2018 for the Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers (IEEE), my professional society. Listen here.

You don’t need to develop a full blown training program to take advantage of the explosion in on-line learning. While you probably won’t make money on short presentations, the are still great ways to gain ever critical visibility & credibility.


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How We Made $15+ Million by Adding Training To Our Consulting…

For over 25 years, training was an important part of our consulting business. Financially rewarding, too. But I must confess we didn’t plan it that way…

Here is the story, as shared with colleagues in a program in which I participate. (Teach Your Gift Pro by Mirasee.) My first encounter with Mirasee was in 2018, when I enrolled in a class with the goal of converting existing live class materials to on-line.

Although the course was very useful, due to inertia (mine and the marketplace) I did not proceed — but then COVID changed all that. The result? Last year I did four live multi-day virtual classes on-line, with more in the future.

But as my wife pointed out, I am once again failing retirement. That’s OK, though, as I still meet my three pronged criteria of “Have Some Fun — Do Some Good — Make Some Money.”  This is from my post at Mirasee:

Hi B2B Colleagues,

Let me share some marketing insights based on 30+ years of B2B training.

Since 1987, my late business partner and I helped our engineering colleagues learn how to identify/prevent/fix Electromagnetic Interference (aka EMI) problems as part of our consulting business (www.emiguru.com). Yes, esoteric, but stick with me as I share a few things learned along the way regarding B2B marketing.

What started out as a request for help by a couple of clients (Can you teach us how to do a better job next time?) evolved into a financially rewarding training business. 12,000+ students (and about $15 million in revenues) later, the training part is still alive but at a lower level as I ease into retirement.

Not bragging — just offering some encouragement. When we started I had no idea where the B2B training would lead. It has been great fun and obviously pretty successful. But it did not happen overnight.

In 1992, we stumbled into working with a marketing partner — a prominent test equipment supplier to electronics designers (our mutual target market.) We ran the program (promotions, registration, and fulfillment, the latter including arranging meeting space and more.) We shared mail lists (both direct mail and email) and had great field support from their sales force.

We got revenue, and we both got highly qualified leads (those who were both interested and could spend money.) It was win-win-win as the students won too. That relationship lasted about 25 years until it died out due to the increasing cost of promotions and fulfillment.

In 2012, we were invited by a long established training company to be in their catalogue. Another marketing partnership. As they specialized in the defense industry, we developed a highly focused class for their market.

It was not too difficult as we had a lot of consulting experience plus existing materials. In this case, the training company handled the promotion, registration, and meeting arrangements. All we did was show up and teach. Now on line, it is even easier.

In 2018, I signed up for the “Course Builders Laboratory” with the idea of converting two multi-day classes from in-person to on-line. Learned a lot, but due to inertia (mine and the market place) did not move forward.

Then COVID happened. Last year led to four multi-day on-line classes (pilots?) with more on the horizon. The best part — no travel for me or my students — and the market is now world wide. Yea!

Today I am investigating a new potential partnership to resurrect the original commercial course. The financial equation is much more favorable with on-line delivery. Much less cost to promote and fulfill. No travel and hotel/catering costs, and a much broader potential market. I’m excited about the prospects.

As you can see, I am a big proponent of partnering in the B2B marketplace. I hope this has been useful, and that I haven’t blathered on too long. I know much of Mirasee’s past efforts have been aimed at B2C, but rest assured there is a huge market in B2B, particularly with the move to on-line learning. The marketplace if different but there is a lot of  lot of $$$$ to be had, along with great satisfaction.

Best wishes — Daryl

PS -Also working on a short B2C course on how to start/build/operate a small consulting practice based on my 40+ years experience. More of a labor of love (see my blog at www.jumptoconsulting.com.) But the real $$$ for me are in B2B – and that is still fun too. 

As I pointed out in an earlier post, there is a great synergy between training and consulting. Each can feed the other.

Training, however, requires a lot of time and commitment, so I don’t recommend jumping in with training when starting out in consulting. Long term, however, the payoff is there, and it nicely augmented our retirement funds.

If training has appeal, consider teaching for an educational institution, such as university, junior college, or adult educational  program. This can even be done prior to making a full time JumpToConsulting, providing visibility/credibility and experience. In fact, that is how we got started — moonlighting as evening instructors in adult-ed over 40 years ago.

Hope this has been helpful, and perhaps even planted some seeds on how to make your own JumpToConsulting!

P.S. – The $15 million was not all profit, as we had promotion and fulfillment costs. But it was still quite profitable ($10M+) while also feeding the consulting side of the business.  


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© 2021 – 2023, https:. All rights reserved.

2020 Annual Review…

As the year ends and another begins, it is once again time to reflect and plan. 

Got this idea years ago from The Art of Nonconformity, and have done it each year since.

As always, I’ll review three categories:


But first, a quick overview…

The JumpToConsulting project is now TEN years old! Little did I know it would last that long — but now over 320 posts, an E-Book, and a Webinar for the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers – my professional society.)

The book and webinar were gratis, small payback to the IEEE for contributions to my career. In fact, to date it has all been gratis, although I plan a some short on-line courses for a nominal fee to help finance my blogging addiction 🙂

My primary goal has been to help interested colleagues learn how to start/build/operate a small consulting practice.

Many of the blog posts are the result of your questions, so please feel free to ask. Your questions and feedback inspire me to keep going. 

The EMI-GURU project is now over FORTY-TWO years old (part time since 1978 — full time since 1987.) It has been great fun, and quite successful. I made a lot of friends, traveled the world, and am comfortably “semi-retired” – whatever that means.

EMI-GURU  let me to practice my profession as an Electrical Engineer in a ways I could not even imagine as a college student or young engineer. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Much of what is discussed here is based EMI-GURU experiences. The stuff I talk about is not theory — rather, it is real world and based on those 40+ years of consulting!


LOOKING BACK on 2020…

Jump-to-Consulting – The blog is now over 320 posts. The blog has helped several new consultants. That includes both genders – consulting is a great way to break glass ceilings and stereotypes. Along with a great way to become independent and free!

Resurrected the MONTHLY TELECONFERENCE  (“Ask Daryl Anything About Consulting.”) Not only has this been satisfying, it has been a great source for new blog posts. Please feel free to join us here.

The short course? Still on the to-do list. More details below.

EMI-GURU – Has morphed into a part-time training firm. No longer consulting, I refer almost all inquiries to colleagues.

Thanks to COVID, switched to on-line classes this year. Been considering this for several years, and they all went well. Also attended two on-line conferences, and joined a program to learn more about on-line training. It is a HOT topic.

Teaching is a long time passion – nothing like seeing a student suddenly “get it.” And it adds great synergy to consulting. 

Personal — COVID kept us hunkered down in AZ this year, but we look forward to heading north to MN as soon as the vaccine makes us feel save to travel. We missed grandkids (and two high school graduations) but hopefully better times are ahead.

Sami the rescue mutt continues to bring joy as a “personal therapist”, along with daily exercise as a “personal trainer.”


LOOKING FORWARD to 2021…

Jump-to-Consulting – Continue with the free monthly teleconference, along with some on-line classes. 

The first topic is “So You Want To Be a Consultant” (an expansion of the free webinar) envisioned as five or six one hour modules. (Scroll down to “Courses”for details.)

Thinking a pilot class with live webinars. The pilot will be interactive, at a reduced fee. Attendee feedback and ideas will help refine the class.

Watch the blog for more details. Better yet, drop me a line if you are interested in participating in the pilot.

EMI-GURU –No more live on-site classes- all future classes will be on-line. Both in-house and public offerings. No more travel, plus classes available to a wider audience. Two multi-day classes, reformatted for on-line:

  • EMC in Military Systems – currently offered via the Applied Technology Institute
  • Design for EMC – currently exploring with a sponsor/partner

Over 12,000 students have attended these classes. I’m excited about the move to on-line. Watch EMI-GURU for more details, or contact me here.

Personal – Still on the HOA board. Had planned to leave, but decided to stay to protect my interests. Happy to share my consulting skills and experience, but still weary of dealing with a few self-centered “terminally unhappy” homeowners. Tempted to sell, but the property remains a good investment.

Plans are to continue to continue learning and implementing on-line programs; spend time reading/writing; and travel again in our little RV. Fire up the ham radio; play with Sami the Shih Tzu mutt; and just goof off.


Wishing you all the best in 2021 — and THANK YOU for reading my blog


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© 2021, https:. All rights reserved.

Ten Guiding Principles at KGA…

This post was inspired by a recent post at Consulting Success, titled Our 10 Guiding Principles:Inside our Consulting Business and Life.   It resonated with me, and got me thinking about the principles that guided Bill Kimmel (my late business partner) and me at Kimmel Gerke Associates.

The first three (Do Some Good – Have Some Fun -Make Some Money) were our mantra, but upon reflection I was able to come up with seven more. The list is short and sweet. These were not random, but the result of many discussions (often over beer) on how we wanted to live our lives and run our business.

(1) Do some good –  The essence of consulting is improving the client’s status — either by solving problems or achieving aspirations. At the end of the day, you need to leave the world in a better place.

(2) Have some fun – If it isn’t fun, why do it? Life is too short to do stuff that isn’t enjoyable.

(3) Make some money – The ultimate goal of every business, even non-profits. And remember Marv’s sage advice, You can’t go broke when making a profit.

(4) Don’t be greedy – As is said about the stock market  — Bears make money — Bulls make money — Pigs get slaughtered.  Always leave some money on the table, and always tip well!

(5) Be humble – Nobody likes arrogance or narcissism. And remember TIAABB (There Is Always A Bigger Boat.) Can’t remember where I heard that advice, but I’ve always liked it.

(6) Take calculated risks – Don’t take foolish risks, but don’t be paralyzed by fear. Assess the risks and make a decision. Consider the worst case, best case, and then roll the dice. (Unless it might kill you, which it probably won’t.)

(7) Share what you know –  Pretty sure that is how the parable of the loaves and fishes worked — people shared what they had. Share and others will share with you.

(8) Be approachable – Very important for consultants, as you do not want to unwittingly intimidate those who might need your services. If an engineer, be ready to buy a beer.

(9) Keep learning – Your knowledge and experience are what you have to sell. Keep filling your experience bank account.

(10) Do it your way — That’s the reason to become a consultant, right? Can’t say it any better than Frank Sinatra did. 

Hope you enjoyed this. These principles served us well.


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Don’t let fear hold you back…

Good advice from a recent newsletter by Bob Bly, fellow engineer turned successful copywriter and consultant. could not say it better myself.

Dear Direct Response Letter Subscriber:

Subscriber GR writes:

“I’m mostly interested in starting and running a successful
freelance copywriting business. I’m not a fast writer, but I
write good copy. In my last job, I wrote a lot of use cases for
hi-tech.

“My problem is that I am not comfortable doing marketing. It’s
a fear. That is the obstacle for me — and confidence.”

The answer is rather simple….

Do not let fear hold you back.

Understand that courage is NOT the absence of fear.

Courage is feeling the fear … and doing it anyway.

If marketing and selling your services is out of your comfort
zone, step out of your comfort zone.

The fact is: when you are feeling uncomfortable, challenged, or
discouraged — that means you’re growing.

Also, do small tests of your self-promotions that cost little
money.

That way, if they don’t work, you haven’t spent the rent
money … and you still have money to test other things

If the small test is successful, “roll out,” which means
repeat the promotion as long as it makes money … and do it in
incrementally larger sizes or volumes.

Motivational speaker Dr. Rob Gilbert says the simple key to
success in marketing or anything else is this:

Do more of what works — and stop doing what doesn’t work.

One more thing…

Persistence is also important.

The reason many people fail is they give up too soon.

Sincerely,Bob Bly
Copywriter / Consultant
31 Cheyenne Dr.
Montville, NJ 07045
Phone 973-263-0562
Fax 973-263-0613
www.bly.com

If you are not already a subscriber to Bob’s FREE newsletter, sign up a www.bly.com.  Bob also shares his wealth of advice through very reasonably priced e-books, etc.


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Why I use a Financial Advisor…

With tax time* upon us, I thought it might be helpful to share my thoughts on financial advisors (aka consultants.) I am all in favor of paying for sound financial advice from professionals.

Although semi-retired (and financially independent) I follow several financial and retirement blogs. They often provide confirmation of the my financial/retirement philosophies, along with new ideas to consider.

One area where I disagree with many financial bloggers is the use of paid financial advisors. Too many demean those who do so, implying advisors are a waste of money. I strongly disagree!

Many people (especially my fellow members of the male gender) seem to feel they are smarter than the professionals, and smarter than the market. I suspect many feel they are smarter than the casinos, too. Perhaps too much ego?

So even if you are well versed in financial matters (as I think you should) getting independent advice may still be well worth it. I consider the money I’ve spent on both my CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and my CFP (Certified Financial Planner) to be well spent.

Even after the fees, I’m pretty sure I’m ahead of where I might be had I gone alone. That is the same argument I often make to clients for using my professional engineering services. Furthermore, I already pay for professional legal and medical advice — why not professional financial advice?

A bonus is the saved time that was better invested in making money on my own expertise. And to me, more enjoyable too.

The key to success is finding the right professionals with the right credentials, the right experience, and the right “fit.” You may need to interview several, but a good place to start is to ask business colleagues for referrals. That is how I found my team of advisors.

— Credentials — I use both a CPA and a CFP. I also use an attorney for estate planning. All three are in small firms, which I appreciate as a small business person myself. We all understand each other, and the challenges we face.

My CPA was a referral from a business colleague dating back 40 years. Over the years, my accountant changed after the first retired. My CFP was a referral from my CPA dating back 20 years. I’m also on the second CFP after the first retired. In both cases staying with one firm provided continuity.

As a bonus of sorts, the current CPA and CFP are both younger than me, which I expect will be advantageous as my wife and I age.

— Experience — All three advisors have many years of experience, particularly with small firms like mine. They also often share general business advice.

— Fit — Last, but not least, you must be comfortable with your advisor. Many years ago, I tried an estate attorney at a large downtown law firm with poor results. It was a referral from a friend, but not a good fit for me.

After being charged double what he estimated, I replaced him with a single person firm with much better results. No fancy office — no fancy suits — no fancy fees. Just good solid advice at much more reasonable rates. And honest estimates.

Some final thoughts…

First, go with a “fiduciary” which means being legally and ethically bound to act in your best interest. Unfortunately, not all advisors meet this criteria, thanks to good lobbying by those who are not fiduciaries.

Second, I prefer fees based on “money under management.” That way you are both on the same page — the better you do, the better your advisor does. “Fee only” advisors are good if you only want occasional advice. I would steer clear of commission based advisors.

Third, I prefer small professional firms much like my own engineering consulting firm. As an aside, my doctors and dentist are also small independent practices. Probably a personal bias, but it has worked well for me.


* Even though tax deadlines are now delayed, it’s back to work on my taxes. Actually, back to the very helpful tax worksheet supplied by my CPA. She will take it from there, and I am delighted to let her do so. I’ll stick with engineering.

As I once told my MBA/CFO son who was with an accounting firm at the time, “People like me will pay people like you big bucks to take care of this stuff.” He just grinned…

P.S. Special thanks to Tom G (CFP) & Jessica V (CPA).


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Three key questions for those curious about consulting…

Ran across this advice years ago, and it has guided me through several job changes, including becoming an independent consultant back in 1987.

The advice consists of three questions:

  • COULD I do it?
  • SHOULD I do it?
  • And if so, HOW how do I do it?

COULD I DO IT? This is the most important, and you need to be brutally honest with yourself.

  • Do I have skills and experience that people will pay for?
  • Do I have the visibility and credibility to create a client base?
  • Do I have the financial means to support myself until I become profitable?

SHOULD I DO IT? This calls for some serious soul searching. Just because you COULD  do something, does not mean that you SHOULD do something.

  • Does this take me in a direction I really want to go?
  • Does this excite me?
  • Is my significant other on board?

HOW DO I DO IT?  Assuming you made it this far, it is time to start making (and executing) plans – NOW!

  • Draft a simple business plan.
  • Commence your marketing.
  • Get your finances in order.
  • Set up the business.

The four topics above to be covered in more detail in future posts.

Hope this simple advice is helpful if YOU toying with the idea of becoming a consultant.

Best wishes — Uncle Daryl


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Don’t fret about giving away advice…

Giving away advice can be good marketing, and inexpensive too.

This was prompted by a recent query. With rare exception your potential clients do not want to “steal” your ideas — rather they want to know you understand their problems and can fix them. And those who do want to steal your ideas are not worthy clients in the first place.

Here are three examples where giving advice away paid big dividends in my consulting business… sometimes years later.

Giving away advice turns into a class…

This recent example occurred when I booked an in-house class with virtually no sales effort. The client merely wanted to know when I could be there, and how much it would cost. So we agreed on a time, and I provided a quote.

Total time: under ten minutes. The purchase order arrived a few days later.

Upon arriving at the client site, the client mentioned why it went so fast and easy. It seems many years ago he had a problem, and Bill, my late business partner, gave him four quick things to try. Number four worked.

Happy to have the problem solved, the client offered to pay. Bill said, “No, we don’t charge for quick solutions. Just keep us in mind for future business.”

Years later, now at a different company, my client was asked for a recommendation on a training class in our specialty. He immediately gave me a call (Bill having passed on.) He shared his story, and said how much he appreciated our approach.

Was it with it? Of course, in good will alone. But financially, the return on investment was well over 1000:1 in terms of revenue from the class versus revenue from billing a few minutes of time. Plus I had a very happy client.

Not holding back, but “opening the kimono”…

In addition to not charging for a few minutes, our policy was to not hold back — but rather to share whatever we knew.

One exception, of course, was not sharing another client’s confidential material. However, we shared lessons learned from other consultations. It is your experience that clients seek.

As I was going into a detailed description, I asked “Is this too much information, or do you want me to keep going?”

The client replied, “Please continue — I appreciate it. By the way, the last consultant we hired (for different problems) would hold back. We assumed he was afraid that if he gave away too much advice we would not hire him again. Well, after he solved he immediate problem, we all agreed not to work with him again.” Ouch!

This occurred early in my consulting career, and stuck with me ever since. We jokingly called it “opening the kimono.” It served us well.

The on-line endorsement…

Several years into our business, I ran across this on a popular forum.

Someone asked for a consultant in our specialty. A quick reply was, “Call Kimmel Gerke Associates. Not only are they good, but are easy to work with and they won’t nickel-and-dime you.” You can not buy that kind of advertising.

I immediately called Bill with my discovery. We both agreed that our policy of sharing information and not charging for quick answers was the right approach for us.

Other ways to give away advice…

Writing articles and giving free presentations were central to our marketing efforts for many years. These often turned into paid consultations and training classes.

Nothing like getting a free sample to whet your appetite for more. It also enhances that ever important visibility and credibility.

More thoughts here from an earlier post.


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Who is your ideal client? And how to find them…

The Number One question I’m asked by those interested in consulting is “How Do You Get Your Clients?”

My Number One answer is usually “Peddle your behind off.” Meaning, if you are not willing to market and sell your services, you are better off not pursuing independent consulting.

But to be successful, you need to be strategic about your marketing. As the esteemed business consultant Peter Drucker noted, “The better the marketing, the easier the sales.”  Strategic marketing is the linch pin to starting and operating your own consulting practice.

Many blanch when faced with marketing and sales, particularly my engineering colleagues. But as  mentioned in previous posts, this is not a big deal. It is just another problem to be addressed. And that is what do as consultants — solve problems.

So the first question to ask yourself is, “Who is my ideal client?”  Consulting is a niche business — you can’t serve everyone, not do you want to. Like fishing, what type of fish are you going after? Bass? Trout? Or maybe deep sea fishing? You need to focus your efforts.

Many “experts” say to focus on the CEO, or at least the C-Suite. That might work for McKinsey, but not for most of us as individual practitioners. Seriously, is a CEO interested in solving a subtle engineering problem or marketing problem? Only if it is costing a LOT of money.

For us, we quickly realized our ideal clients were engineering managers, project managers, or directors or VPs in smaller companies. Those close enough to the action, and with budget authority to retain us. (Our projects were typically under $20K — even at those levels you don’t need many to succeed.)

The second question to ask yourself is, “How do I reach my ideal client?”  This is where visibility and credibility become vital.

People buy professional services from those they know, like and trust. There are many ways to establish this — most revolve around writing, speaking, and networking. Here are 20 ways we have used to attract business.

A caveat — although social media is all the rage, don’t rely on that alone. Consider traditional  marketing like magazine articles, speaking at conferences, or being active in professional organizations. The goal is to be in front of prospective clients in a positive light.

Consider geography. If your potential market is local, focus on local publications and events. If nationwide, focus on methods with nationwide coverage. We started out local, and later expanded to cover both.

What if I am just starting out? Practice aggressive networking. Reach out to friends, colleagues, and past employers. Let them know you are in business, and available to help. Give them specific examples of services you can provide.

A simple direct mail campaign can work wonders. So can phone calls. But DON’T ask for business — just ask for help in publicizing your services. That way you are not seen as a pest. But if anyone does need your services, they will ask you.

Make a list of the top 100-200 people you know, and reach out to 10 a week. If your market is local, you can even offer to meet for coffee. Ask for advice — ask about problems and trends they see. And although you may be excited about your business, don’t go into hyper sales mode. Just listen and learn.

All of the above take time and creative effort, but the payoff is there. As the late Howard Shenson (the consultant’s consultant) advised, the ultimate goal is to have clients clamoring for you. But they can only do that is you are visible and credible, and knowable and likable.

Cheers — Uncle Daryl


 

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Three reasons not to take on friends or relatives as clients…

Good advice from a recent newletter. Based on personal experience, there is too much risk for blowback and hard feelings.

#1–Your friend or family member might not have any clue about
market rates for freelance projects.

#2–They might assume that they’re entitled to a steep discount
because they know you.

#3–If the business relationship goes south, your friendship or
relationship could be damaged.

(Source: ASJA Weekly, 8/27/19)

A few years after starting my consulting practice, I was at a high school reunion. Like me, the husband of a classmate was an Electrical Engineer. We had a good time “geeking out”, and I even shared some quick ideas (gratis) for a problem he was having.

Had it stopped there, it would have been fine.

But then he asked for some additional research (with a report) which needed a day of my time. Although I was uneasy due to the old classmate connection, he insisted that he would gladly pay for it.

So I gave him a verbal cost estimate, and proceeded with the research and report.

Upon submitting my invoice, I was never paid. An awkward situation given the past friendship with my classmate, so I let it drop. But I was left wondering if it just fell through a crack –if I was intentionally stiffed — or he was upset at the cost.

Never did find out, but I suspect I was stiffed. Several years later I heard they divorced, and that he had been cheating on her. I felt bad as she deserved better.

A few years ago, I gain heard from my old classmate when she was working on another reunion. The exchange was pleasant, leading me to believe there were no hard feelings, or perhaps she was not even aware of her ex-husband’s behavior.

After all, he cheated on her — why not her friends?

Based on the initial encounter, I instituted a policy of NOT doing business with friends or relatives. Brief free advice was fine, as it was for anyone. But if it were more involved, I would offer a referral to a colleague rather than handle it myself. Much like a doctor would do.

I suggest you do the same!


P.S. Back on schedule – shooting for two posts per month. Thanks for your patience during my blogging sabbatical.


 

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Don’t be an e-mail pest…

Time for a mini-rant.

In recent months, I’ve received numerous unsolicited e-mails that follow this format:

  • The first e-mail offers some unwanted service, like updating my website, increasing my leads, or even handling my HR hiring or payroll needs. (The latter is amusing as I am a one person firm, which simple research would have uncovered.)
  • The second e-mail, two days later, asks if I’ve read the first email (already deleted) and wants to set up an appointment.
  • The third e-mail, nine days later, gets a bit snarky. By that time I’m so annoyed that even if I did need the services I would NOT use this person.

Here is a specific example. It is thinly disguised, but if you have received the same email, you will recognize the perpetrator.

On Mon, Jan 21, 2019 at 6:28 am, CW wrote:

Hey Daryl,

Curious if Kimmel Gerke Associates is on an older payroll/HR system, like ADP or Paychex?

If you are, Ripoff can easily save your team 50+ hours of admin work (and, likely, thousands of dollars) every year. How, you ask?

Unlike older platforms, Ripoff integrates all (not just some) of your employee systems — blah, blah, blah…

Do you have any interest in a quick demo to see how we compare?

Thank you!

CW
Account Executive
Ripoff| CA License #999999


On Wed, Jan 23, 2019 at 9:53 am, CW wrote:

Hi Daryl — any thoughts on my email below?

Let me know if you (or someone on your team…) would like to connect this week.

C


On Feb 1, 2019, at 8:02 AM, CW wrote:

I’m not sure if this changes anything, but not only can Ripoff connect your current HR systems together, it can connect Kimmel Gerke Associates’s IT systems together, too.

You can manage your team’s computers, software licenses, user accounts and passwords — in addition to their payroll, health insurance, 401k, etc. — all in one dashboard.

Are you able to manage all of those things in one place today?

CW
Account Executive
Ripoff| CA License #999999

By the third unsolicited piece of spam (possibly illegal) I have NO interest in working with Ripoff on anything — ever!

Normally I just ignore this kind of foolishness, but feeling ornery, I sent the following note back. Feel free to use it yourself. If enough of us do so, maybe we can at least slow down these marketing idiots.

Please remove me from your list and all future mailings. I am a one person firm, and not in need of your services.

Had you done any research you would know that, and would not be sending repeated unwanted spam.

Which begs the question — why would I do business with someone who does that? Food for thought from a successful business owner of 32 years.

My suggestion – find a way to attract business to come to you.  Don’t be a pest!

If YOU are a marketing consultant recommending this approach, please STOP. If you are thinking about this approach, DON’T do it!

Instead, set up a program to ATTRACT business. Marketing guru Seth Godin calls this permission marketing. Uncle Daryl just calls this common sense.

You can do this many ways — here are 20 ideas from an early post (with detailed follow on links) on JumpToConsulting. The twin goals are establishing credibility and visibility – having clients come to you – not being just another e-mail pest!

End of Rant. 


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