Here is a recent comment I left at the Art of Non-Conformity, a favorite blog by Chris Gullibeau – author, entrepreneur, and world traveler (he visited EVERY country in the world by age 35.) If you haven’t discovered him, now is a good time to do so! The topic was The Virtue of Insecurity, where […]
And also for America, as comedian Craig Ferguson says… thanks to the DEFEAT of Arizona’s anti-gay legislation known as SB1062. While I normally avoid political controversy here, couldn’t pass on this one. Besides, there are several good consulting lessons to be shared. First, a little background. SB1062 was ostensibly meant to protect religious freedom by […]
When troubleshooting, common sense and experience go a long way. Here is a story of my great-uncle, a country doctor in Nebraska. I often think of him when trying to diagnose and fix a client problem. This story appeared in my first book, written twenty years ago. While it was aimed at my engineering colleagues, […]
At LinkedIn (Succeed), Dave Wacker posed this question: Any thoughts on starting a small consulting company? Here is my reply: Hi Dave, Started my consulting engineering firm 30+ years ago. Part time for nine years, then went full time in 1987 – the day the market crashed. (The first day in business was the worst […]
So asked the Dean of Engineering to a bunch of freshman engineering students almost fifty years ago. The class was Intro to Engineering, an overview of what we were getting ourselves into. When he asked the question, most of the hands in the room went up. “Well”, he replied, “if you REALLY want go get […]
Still time for New Year’s Resolutions. In case your resolutions include consulting, here are 10 reasons NOT to go there. Not being negative – just being honest. 1. You dislike risk – Starting any business involves risk. To be blunt, some people simply do not like risk. Nothing wrong with that, but if risk makes […]
Down 40 pounds in six months! This post was sparked by comments on my weight loss last year, as reported in the 2013 Year End Review. Specifically, how did you do it, and what got you off the dime in the first place? So I thought this post might be a good way to kick […]
Q. What happens when you stop marketing? A. Nothing… happens… –Advice from an old marketer many years ago. © 2014, https:. All rights reserved.
There is a reason I saved advertising for last — because (IMHO) it is just not that effective for consulting practices — particularly when starting out. Yet advertising is the first thing many newbies want to try. After all, Proctor & Gamble uses it to sell soap, and General Motors uses it to sell cars. […]
Time for a short New Year’s rant… Hate your job? Life passing you by? Frustrated, and just want to escape? But no thoughts or plans on what to do next? Waste of energy! Better to have an idea or two in mind. Something to move TO, not FROM. Rather than wallow in misery, time to […]
Well, another year gone by, and time to reflect. Got this idea from Chris Gullibeau of The Art of Nonconformity. He does this each year, and each year challenges others to do the same. Great idea! So once again, I’ll review three categories: JumpToConsulting (www.jumptoconsulting.com) EMI-GURU aka Kimmel Gerke Associates, Ltd. (www.emiguru.com) Personal (www.linkedin.com/in/darylgerke) But […]
May the joy and the peace of the season be yours, and all the best in 2014! -Daryl & Mary © 2013, https:. All rights reserved.
Generally not in favor of gimmicks here – thing like coffee cups, key chains, T-shirts, etc. Frankly, I’m not sure they are appropriate for most consulting practices. But the RIGHT gimmick can be an effective marketing tool, as long as it is practical and useful. Planning calendars are a good example — and they keep […]
Here is some boomer humor that arrived recently via an E-mail. A C-130 was lumbering along when a cocky F-16 flashed by. The jet jockey decided to show off. The fighter jock told the C-130 pilot, “Watch this!’ and promptly went into a barrel roll followed by a steep climb. He then finished with a […]
“No Man is an Island…” beings a poem by John Donne. Written almost 400 years ago, it is still true today. True in life, and true in your own consulting practice. In this post, we’ll look at leveraging your business by collaborating with others. We’ll examine several facets of collaboration — marketing (lead generation), production […]
That question was recently posted at Consulting Success, a useful blog for aspiring and practicing consultants. While Michael Zipursky recommends offering a guarantee, I don’t fully agree. YES for products. but NO for professional services. Here is my partial reply: As consulting engineers, we do not guarantee our results. Lawyers do not guarantee you will […]
Always love it when a former engineer does well! And Bob Bly, a chemical engineer by training, has done very well as a marketing consultant who specializes in copywriting and related services. Bob also shares his knowledge and ideas through a free e-mail newsletter, which I have received for several years. He has written 80 […]
This recently arrived in my mail box, and I wanted to share it. It certainly made my day! This is from Catherine at ViewThatData.com, who I featured a few months back in an earlier post. Sounds like she is making great progress towards her goals of both occupational independence and financial independence. Hi Daryl, I hope this finds […]
Three rifle volleys, followed by the mournful sound of Taps. The folded flag was presented to his widow, and then it was all over. He was laid to rest among his comrades at Fort Snelling, right next to the Minneapolis St. Paul airport. That seems appropriate for this old B-24 crew member from World War […]
Do you treat all clients the same? That question was posed recently on Succeed, a small business forum on LinkedIn. Always ready to share my opinions, here is the answer I posted there. Like so many have said already, we strive to treat all our clients with respect. But in reality, some clients are better […]
