Monthly Archives: October 2019
Build a bridge – not a wall…
Heard this story years ago, and decided to share it here. It goes like this:
Two neighbors lived across a creek from each other. There was a small bridge connecting their two properties, and they became friends and enjoyed each other’s company.
But then there was a falling out, and neither spoke to each other. That winter, the bridge collapsed.
In the spring, the one neighbor decided to build a wall so he would not have to look across the creek to his neighbor. He had a load of lumber delivered, and planned to begin the wall that weekend.
Seeing the lumber, the other neighbor knocked on the door. He said, “I’m so happy to see you are rebuilding the bridge. I’ve really missed our friendship. Can I pay for half?”
Realizing the mistake he almost made, the first neighbor quickly agreed. And they build the bridge together.
So what does this have to do with consulting (or life in general?) Misunderstandings happen, and don’t be afraid to make the first move to fix them.
Build bridges — not walls!
Peace — Uncle Daryl
© 2019, https:. All rights reserved.
Great time to be a consultant…
Here is a quote from Dr. Alan Weiss (the Million Dollar Consultant) in his recent newsletter. I could not agree more!
“Businesses of all sizes need external expertise these days.
They can’t solve their own problems or ensure their own innovation any more than a patient can operate on his or her own appendix or write a prescription for medication.“
In spite of the gloom and doom of the media and all the other Negative Ninnies, opportunities abound. Yes, we have problems in the world.
But problems are what we, as consultants, work on. That, and helping clients achieve their dreams. It’s all about helping clients succeed, and making the world a better place.
If you have the “itch”to consult (or launch any business), start NOW to scratch it.
But don’t jump in without preparations. No matter how exciting, you wouldn’t just hop into a sail boat and head for Hawaii without making plans (including backup plans) and stocking enough provisions.
Stick around here, and we’ll help. Check out the almost 300 blog posts. Search by category if specific interests. Join us for the free monthly teleconferences, starting again in November.
Watch the blog for future events. Head over to the free webinar, which I’ll be doing live at the Minnesota EMC Event.
Bill Kimmel (my late business partner) and I started the EMC Event in 1986 to make a pre-launch splash for our engineering consulting firm.
Read about it here — maybe the best $500 we spent. The show is still going strong after 33 years, after producing thousands in consulting and training business.
An example of what a little creative thinking can accomplish.
Don’t want to start a mini trade show? How about writing tutorial articles or blog posts in the trade press? Editors are hungry for simple relevant material, and you can be in print in weeks. Keep it up and in a few months you will recognized as an expert.
We used writing when starting out. Still moonlighting, we offered to do a simple column for a local business magazine.
Eight hundred words every month on how to use the new fangled personal computers. The editor loved it, and within months we even picked up some small projects. (If still employed, be sure to avoid conflicts of interst.)
That first writing effort gave us both confidence and future credibility. We eventually wrote over 200 articles, three books (one with over 130,000 “sales”), blog posts, and a regular magazine column that ran almost 30 years.
But nothing happened overnight. It started simple and grew. More marketing ideas here.
So think NOW how to ramp up YOUR marketing. You can even do this prior to going full time. We moonlighted for nine years before making our JumpToConsulting. Planning and preparation made the jump easier – even when the stock market crashed the first day in business!
My 1987 jump to full-time consulting was like hitting a squall while leaving the harbor. But the preparation paid off, and we succeeded. You can too, but don’t expect smooth sailing all the time. Just be prepared — and you can even start TODAY!
Back in the saddle here after the summer sabbatical. Plans are to post twice a month, and host the free teleconference once a month. Still working on the multi-module class.
Be sure to sign up for the free newsletter, as I may tweak a bit. You can also get a feed on an RSS reader like Feedly.
© 2019, https:. All rights reserved.
