Here is the synopsis of a recent e-mail exchange from a JTC candidate that you may find of interest.

I’ve edited it and sanitized it (personal information is left out), but I’m sure C will recognize herself.

Hi Daryl,

I came to your website from Mister Money Mustache, and I’ve decided to throw my hat in the circle and JumpToConsulting.

I currently work for XXX and intend to do the consulting on the side.  We are planning to follow the MMM path and retire in 5 years, so I decided I wanted to try and make the stash bigger.

I’ve already picked the company name. I am currently working on the website and need to register my trade name.

I’ve received different advice regarding setting up as a sole practitioner or as an LLC. Can you share some advice?

Finally, would you put LLC on your business cards?

C

Hello C,

Congratulations on your decision to make your own JumpToConsulting! It sounds like it is a good fit with your with your retirement plans too.

By the way, I am a big MMM fan myself. (Hey, he’s another engineer who broke free…)

Here are some comments:

– Recommend the LLC over a sole practitioner. From a marketing perspective, I think it lends more credibility — it shows you are serious. It may also provide some legal protection, but you should talk to an attorney for clarification.

–Recommend using an attorney to do the paperwork. Yes, you can do it yourself, but to me it is worth a few hundred bucks to know it has been done right.

– Ask around to find an attorney who specializes in small businesses. I prefer small firms (one or two lawyers) as they generally cost less and are more personal. Plus, I just like dealing with small practices. I also do the same thing with accounting, and have used a two person CPA firm for many years.

– However, if you are just testing the waters, the sole practitioner may be OK for now. We did that for nine years as part time consultants, but incorporated as a Subchapter S corp when we we went full time in 1987. (LLCs were not popular then, so the Sub S made the most sense.) If you change later, however, you may need to update printed materials (letterhead, cards, brochures, etc.) to reflect the LLC status.

– Regarding LLC on your business cards, my understanding is that if you are an LLC (or any other type of corp) you should put that on your business cards. Check with your attorney, but I believe that gives notice to your clients that you are incorporated. I’d do it anyway as it enhances your marketing image.

– Really like your company name! Yes, you want to register it. You may want to trademark it too. We trademarked EMIGURU which is our website and which we use in our advertising. Glad we did, as it gave us leverage when a cyber-squatter picked up the .net and .org extensions and then used them in a competitive way. Because of the trademark, we were able to stop that. However, it cost us about $2K to resolve the issue.

– So, when you register your domain, pick up the .net and .org extensions, in addition to .com. You might want to pick up others, too, but those are the most common.

– It sounds like you have identified your initial market place – needs, geography, type of business, etc. This is good, as it lets you focus your marketing efforts. But be ready to make changes as you move into those markets as you learn more.

— The markets will guide you. Try not to spread yourself too thin, though, or go in too many directions. “Do a little, do it well — you’ve done a lot.”

-One more piece of advice. Since you will be consulting part time, be particularly careful to avoid conflicts of interest. You don’t want to jeopardize your day job. And keep a low profile — petty jealousies can arise (the voice of experience speaking.)

Finally, I applaud your decisions, both the MMM-path and the JTC-path. I’ve followed both paths for many years, and they have paid off for me.

Thanks for reading my blog, and best wishes in your new adventures!

-Daryl

Have your own quick question? Drop me an email (just use the Contact form)  and perhaps you’ll be featured in a blog post too.

© 2013, https:. All rights reserved.

This is a true story. Not even the names have been changed…

Mary (my wife) was at the beauty shop, getting her hair done. She couldn’t help hearing the conversation in the next chair. The discussion centered around the new boy friend of the customer’s niece. Here is a summary of the exchanges:

Hairdresser – “So, it sounds pretty serious with your niece and her young man at the university.”

Customer – “Yes, he seems really nice. The only problem is that he is studying engineering. You know, engineers can be kind of strange…”

Mary – (Interrupting) – “Tell me about it, I’m married to one!”

Customer – (Embarrassed) – “Oh, I didn’t mean…”

Mary – “Don’t worry, it’s true – they are different.” But then she added, “Its OK, though. We’ve been married over 40 years…”

I guess we engineers do have a reputation to uphold. Without us, there would be no Dilbert, right?

Reprinted from Kimmel Gerke Bullets, our client newsletter.

© 2013 – 2017, https:. All rights reserved.

With apologies to David Letterman…

10 – MONEY – Can lead to Financial Independence. It ultimately did for me.

9 – PLACE – Choose your own work location. Worked out of my home for the past 30+ years, and must say I really enjoy the commute. The view from the patio is nice too.

8 – TIME – Set your own schedule. Never did like the idea of 8 to 5. Or worse, never liked the idea of unpaid overtime. Much better to be PAID for working on a panic project.

7 – SECURITY – Can’t be fired. Took two layoffs to figure this out. Real security is having multiple “bosses” — no single client can put you out of business.

6 – SATISFACTION – Do some good, have some fun, make some money. ‘Nuff said.

5 – INDEPENDENCE – Call your own shots. Stop cleaning up messes made by others. As a minimum, you at least have the fun of making the messes in the first place.

4 – LEADERSHIP – Be a leader, not a follower. Be the captain of your own ship, even if it is just a rowboat.  Besides, little rowboats can often go where the big boys can’t.

3 – LEGACY – Make the world a better place. Leave the world better than you found it. Your counsel and advice may well outlive you.

2 – LIFESTYLE – No need to conform. Work when you want, where you want, and as much or as little as you want. You can even wear goofy hats!

1 – FREEDOM – That is what really drives Uncle Daryl. Rule your world! Do it YOUR way!

Upon reflection, these top ten rules apply to almost ANY small business!

© 2013 – 2019, https:. All rights reserved.

Consulting isn’t just about expertise — it is also about relationships. What better way to build those relationships than through networking?

Networking isn’t just for consultants. It is something you should do regardless of your career. As the old saying goes, “It’s not what you know, but who you know.” True for finding new jobs… and for finding new clients.

Networking can seem painful. Many consultants are introverts — we’re thinkers and planners. We like to deal with problems and ideas, not necessarily with people. Leave that for the sales and marketing types, right?

But if you are a solo practitioner, it is up to you (and you alone) to get the business. You first need to GET the projects before you can DO the projects. That means YOU are the now sales and marketing department.

As an aside, I often advise my engineering colleagues (among the most introverted and distrustful of sales and marketing) to treat getting the business as just another challenging problem to be solved. Looking at it that way, it can even be fun. It is for me.

So how do you network? Strategically. Go where your potential clients are. Think about the niches you serve. This is not about “speed dating” or collecting business cards. Rather, you need to focus — use a rifle, not a shotgun.

And don’t overlook recommenders — others serving your markets. These include professionals (attorneys, lawyers, bankers), media (magazine editors and newspaper reporters), and yes, sales people (reps, distributors, etc.)  Some of my best business leads over the years have come from these sources.

Here are some ways to network strategically:

–Professional organizations… If you are a professional and not already a member — join today!  Participate — don’t just attend meetings. If you business is local, get involved at the local chapter level. If you business is national, get involved at the national level.  If both, well, get involved at both levels.

Volunteer to speak. Short talks and tutorial sessions provide great exposure, and help your colleagues at the same time. Special committees are good too.  We’ve done both, and it has paid off well. Plus, we’ve made a lot of good friends along the way.

One caveat — pick and choose you efforts with care, as volunteer organizations can suck up time like crazy. Don’t spread yourself too thin — you still need to make a living.

–Symposiums… Many professional organizations have annual trade shows. You should attend these too. These are an excellent opportunity to meet the movers and shakers in your industry, which include influencers like journalists and marketers.

Skip the academic sessions, and head for the tutorials. Better yet – volunteer to present – this puts you in front of potential clients. And spend time on the show floor talking to the sales/marketing folks. You’ll learn about new products/services, and often new opportunities as well.

–Trade & Civic organizations… Think about places your clients and potential clients hang out to network. Then plug into those networks, at least on an occasional basis.

For example, if you are an accountant serving a local business market, consider joining local Rotary or Lions clubs. If you are an accountant serving a special niche such as HOAs (home owners associations), consider joining the local or national HOA group. (Yes, such groups exist.)

–Social media... Thanks to the Internet, social media offers many opportunities to expand your networks at very low cost. One caveat — do not rely solely on social media — the personal touch is still crucial.

The big four today are LinkedIn, FaceBook, Twitter, and Google+.  My experience suggests that LinkedIn is preferred for B2B, while FaceBook shines with B2C. Done right, Twitter can be effective for both. Just joined Google+ so I have no opinions on it yet.

The key is to be where your potential clients are at. Once again — watch your time. If you are not careful, these can be addictive and can become tremendous time sucks.

Finally, don’t expect immediate results — networking is for the long term and will eventually pay off.  As a plaque in my office says, “In the pond when you least expect it, a fish will appear.” But you need to have your line in the water…

People buy from those they know, like, and trust. Networking works!

© 2013, https:. All rights reserved.

In celebration of Engineer’s Week, February 17-23, 2013…

You could not…

Drive to work… cook a pot roast… bake bread… take a shower… watch television… make toast… brew coffee… mow the lawn… call your mother… be cool in the summer… wash you clothes… play computer games… listen to your stereo… ride your bike… videotape a wedding… vacuum the rug… recycle you garbage… play baseball at night… be warm in the winter… fly to Hawaii… flush the toilet… or use the cash machine…

Without an Engineer! (From a sign in Daryl’s office.)

Have You Hugged Your Engineer Today? (From another sign in Daryl’s office)

© 2013, https:. All rights reserved.

As part of my commitment to get off my butt and write my book on consulting, I attended the Indie Author Publishing Conference this weekend in Phoenix. Over 120 authors and prospective authors heard from several panels of experts that included book editors, agents, publishers, legal experts, and more.

The focus was on the business end of writing. Lots of nuts and bolts stuff – how to pitch your book to agents and editors, published vs. self published, digital books, copyright issues, and much more. Learned a LOT about the ins and outs of the book business. In fact, I’ll never look at a book the same again.

A crucial message repeated throughout the conference — marketing is key! You can write the best book in the world, but without marketing it won’t go far.

As one presenter said, “Writing is an craft — publishing is a business.” It struck me that consulting and writing are similar. If you want to make a living at either, you must first treat them as businesses.

That doesn’t mean you don’t deliver quality. It was reiterated many times — you still need to write good stuff. So it is with consulting — you still need to deliver good results.

Incidentally, it is OK to write or consult as a hobby. Many do this in retirement, or as a pleasant diversion during the working years. We moonlighted for almost ten years before going full time as consultants, and enjoyed it. Even made a few bucks along the way.

But if you want to make a living at writing or consulting, you must focus on the business end of things. And the most important aspect of both businesses is the marketing! Without clients or readers, you won’t make any money.

Here were several insights gleaned on the book business:

Publishers don’t market. They print and distribute. Any marketing they provide usually ends within the first 30 days of release. After that, it is up to YOU to promote your book.

Publishers like to see a platform. If you have a blog with 100,000 new visits per month, you can get published pretty fast. Ditto 100,000 (legitimate) follower on Facebook or Twitter. Do you have an existing fan base?  Don’t worry — even a smaller following helps.

Publishers like credibility. Have you written a book? How did it do? What about magazine articles or columns? Are you known in your market?

Publishers (particularly smaller ones) serve niches. For example, we were told that books on southwest gardening often do well in Arizona. Niche marketing works! (In this case, geography and topic.)

Publishers (particularly the larger ones) often work solely with agents. You may need the connections and guidance these specialized consultants provide.

Publishers reject a lot of stuff. Even really good stuff. So don’t give up — at least right away. But be sure you have a quality product.

Finally, it also struck me that there are many consulting opportunities in the publishing business. A prime example is the the husband and wife team of Arielle Eckstut and David Sterry. They founded and run The Book Doctors, a consultancy that helps aspiring writers get published.

Both are published authors (7 for Arielle and 12 for David), plus Arielle is an agent with a respected New York book agency. They presented a session on “How to Pitch a Book” followed by the Pitchapalooza at the end of the day. Good people!

So this weekend I learned about book publishing, and that writing and consulting have a lot in common. Marketing is key for both. Now, back to the book!

P.S. Special thanks to my favorite book store – Changing Hands in Tempe AZ – the sponsor of the conference.

© 2013, https:. All rights reserved.

Directories should be a part of every consultant’s marketing strategies. The secret is to be listed in the right directories – those used by potential clients. So give some thought to where you might look to find someone like yourself.

Most directories provide search capabilities (expertise, location…), so consider your search categories. If you don’t see a good match, contact the directory owner and suggest a new category. This is particularly important if you serve a narrow niche.

Directories alone, however, are not enough. They are just a starting point, so you need to have other pieces in place. A web site is ideal, since most directories allow only minimal information.  Be sure to include your web address and e-mail in the listing.

Don’t have a web site? Set one up — even if it is a single page. Nowadays, a phone number is not enough — most people want to check you out before initiating contact.

The good news is that many directories are inexpensive or free. So where are these directories, and how do you get listed? Here are several options:

• Professional organizations – Good for visibility with professional colleagues, which often lead to referrals. Most have on-line directories, although some still offer printed directories. Often free, but may include a nominal annual charge.

• Trade magazines – Good for visibility with potential nationwide clients. Most have on-line directories, and some include printed directories as part of annual Buyer’s Guides. Often free, but for a nominal charge you can often enhance your listing. If offered, I recommend doing so.

• Civic/business organizations – A good choice if your clientele is primarily local, such as legal, accounting, architecture, etc. Examples are Chambers of Commerce, Business Round Tables, etc. You may want to participate in the organization for even more visibility.

• Technical answering services – For years, we’ve belonged to Intota (formerly Teltech),  an organization that connects businesses with peer recommended experts. Over 10,000 experts in the science, engineering, medicine, regulations, and business. Free for consultants, and you even get paid to answer simple questions (which often lead to longer consultations.)

Finally, directories are best used in conjunction with other lead generation methods, such as web sites, professional activities,  articles, presentations, etc. In fact, our experience has shown that multiple methods multiply your success.

© 2013, https:. All rights reserved.

Recently ran across this web site and newsletter, and wanted to share it here. In addition to being a useful resource, it is also a delightful success story.

In 2000, Michael Katz launched Blue Penguin Development, a one man firm that teaches professional service providers how to position themselves as “likeable experts.” Much of his emphasis is on newsletters (a favorite technique of mine) and social media.

Following his own advice, he has published over 275 issues of “The Likeable Expert Gazette,” a weekly E-Newsletter with over 7000 subscribers around the world. Just added my name to his list, and really enjoy his musings. Light, refreshing, and easy to digest. (Gee, I sound like a food critic.) Nutritional, too.

Michael has a BA in Psychology, an MBA, and a past career as a columnist and humorist before going independent twelve years ago. He started about age 40 (boomers take note) and is still going strong. Best of all, he is as bald as a billiard ball, which always sits well with me. Hair is way overrated…

His services range from writing newsletters to helping with marketing. He does this through books, webinars, and individual consulting. If you sign up for his newsletter, he’ll even send you a link to his free E-Book, “It Sure Beats Working – 29 Quirky Stories and Practical Business Lessons for The First Time, Mid-Life Solo Professional.” Loved it!

I’ve not met Michael Katz, but hope to at some point in the future. It is a real pleasure to recommend him to those of you considering your own JumpToConsulting.

The Likeable Expert Gazettete, by Michael Katz – www.BluePenguinDevelopment.com 

More Blue Penguin references here:

• Writing Magazine Articles…
• Visit Me With The Blue Penguin…
• Tell Stories… Not Facts…
• Some Marketing References…

© 2013 – 2022, https:. All rights reserved.

I’m living proof. No MBA, and in fact, I’m an MBA dropout. But more on that later.

This post was precipitated by a post by Martin Zwilling at Startup Professional Musings, where Martin discusses the pros and cons of an MBA for entrepreneurs.

His advice is right in the title – Don’t Delay Your First Startup to Get an MBA. I could not agree more — don’t delay a JumpToConsulting for the same reason.

Now my personal dropout story.

I had just started a new job as a Field Sales Engineer.  My new boss, who I admired, was an EE with an MBA from a local university. When asked, he spoke highly of the program, and encouraged me to take advantage of the evening program and the tuition reimbursement.

So I enrolled. The first courses were interesting, and I learned some good stuff about finance and accounting. However, it was apparent that the MBA was designed to prepare one to move up in the corporation – not to start your own venture.

By that time in my career, I was already smitten with the entrepreneurial  itch. Unfortunately, you can’t shake it.

So I was faced with a decision — spend the next two years studying to become a corporate rat, or spend the next two years plotting and planning my eventual escape to independence through consulting. As you may have guessed, I did the latter. Damn glad I did, too!

Incidentally, this is not meant to disparage the MBA, or any other advanced degree. (My older son has an MBA, and it has helped him immensely.) If you already have one, toot your horn. After all, you worked hard for it and you earned it!

But as Martin points out, if you are itching to be an entrepreneur, more education may actually slow you down. Unfortunately, many people use getting an advanced degree as a crutch in lieu of just jumping in and starting something.

Some advice for my fellow geeks. I agree with Martin — if you have NO business background, the MBA can give you basic business knowledge. But so can a few good business books.

Or, you can do like I did, and get a job as a Sales Engineer. I learned more about business, sales, and marketing in the first year that I had in the previous ten years as a design engineer. Plus the real world sales experience was far more valuable than any theoretical MBA class could provide. Nothing quite like doing it to really learn it!

Finally, if you really want an MBA, the go for it. But just make it will take you where you want to go.

PS – If you have the entrepreneurial itch, sign for Martin Zwilling’s blog. It is a daily dose (yes, every single day) of solid business advice from a fellow Arizona Baby Boomer with a ton of experience as a successful entrepreneur.

© 2013 – 2021, https:. All rights reserved.

Boomers and geeks take note! Close to retirement, and wondering about consulting? My long time friend Don shows you a way.

Fresh out of engineering school, Don and I worked together in the late 1960’s at Collins Radio. In addition to both being EEs (Electrical Engineers), we shared a common interest in amateur (ham) radio – a hobby that got both us both started in electronics.

Within two years, we went our separate ways. Don headed back to his hometown of Chicago to work for Motorola, and I headed north the Minneapolis/St. Paul to work for Sperry Univac. We both remained involved with radios — Don as a systems engineer with VHF/UHF radio systems, and me as an EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) engineer.

Due to our mutual interests, we stayed in touch. Don progressed up the ranks, eventually becoming a Staff Engineer in charge of planning and installing sophisticated communications systems, including one at the White House. He enjoyed what he was doing, and never really considered being on his own.

But a few years before retirement, his company fell on hard times. Offered a lucrative buyout, Don took it. But not ready to hang up his spurs, he wondered what to do next.

This is where Uncle Daryl enters the scene. You see, I’d been bugging Don to consider consulting for some time. He had a wealth of experience, tons of credibility, and the right credentials — both FCC licenses and a PE (Professional Engineer) license.

But Don was still unsure. Almost forty years of corporate living can do that to you.  So, when I called to inquire how things were going, he mentioned he was taking a short class on resume writing.

“What!” I exclaimed. “I thought you were hanging out your consulting shingle.” He hemmed and hawed, so I said, “You know a lot of people in this business. Geez — just make a few phone calls and see where it leads.” He agreed to give it a try.

Actually, he didn’t even get that far. A colleague had just heard he had “retired”, and called Don to inquire about his availability. A nearby county was upgrading their public safety communications system, and invited Don to manage the project — and for a rather attractive fee at that.

Thus began Don’s consulting career. He kept busy for the next several years on a number of similar projects. Most of his leads were referrals from former customers, colleagues, and even old ham radio buddies.

Thanks to all his hard work over the years, he had a ready made network. His marketing was minimal — all he needed to do was let the network know he was available.

One of those referrals came from Yours Truly. A former client called looking for some help with some VHF/UHF radio systems. Based on their problem, I immediately thought of Don. He took the job and solved their problem, making both of us look good.

The project required a mountain top visit — not your usual consulting job. I had visited the same mountain top for a radio frequency safety survey. There were also some strange radio phenomena on the mountain that needed Don’s attention.

We both agreed these were probably some of the more interesting projects either of us had undertaken. And the views from the mountain top were priceless!

Don finally decided to fully retire (no more mountain climbing.) He enjoyed his stint as a consulting engineer, and enhanced his retirement funds at the same time. He now enjoys his free time playing with his radios at his new retirement home in Tennessee.

So, is there a lesson in all this?

Yes, of course. If you are approaching retirement (or are already retired), you have plenty of very valuable expertise — probably more than you realize.

Consulting can be a good way to leverage all your years of experience. It can keep you involved, and it can help fund a lot of fun retirement stuff too!

Do  you have a success story to share?  Please send it in…

© 2013 – 2018, https:. All rights reserved.

Not my favorite approach, but when times are desperate…

I’m with luminaries like Alan Weiss, Howard Shenson, and Perry Marshal on this method. Much better to have potential clients call you, rather than the other way around. As Shenson once said, your marketing goal should be have clients clamoring for you.

Think about it. As a professional, does you doctor call you to see if you want to buy a penicillin shot today? Does your lawyer call you to see if you want to buy a will today? No, they create both the credibility and visibility so you will first call them.

But there are times when cold calling can help. If you are just starting out, for example, you could (and should) call everyone you know to announce your new business. You can ask if they know anyone who might need your services. Just don’t push your services on them — if interested, they will let you know.

One important suggestion. Don’t rely on e-mails alone for the initial contact. Most of us get a hundred or more cold-call e-mails every day, and we are all good at zapping them to the delete folder. That is, if the spam filters don’t catch them first.

Consider a personal letter. No, snail mail is not dead, and a well written personal letter will stand out. Use it to break the ice, and then follow up with a personal phone call. I think you will be pleased with the results from this two step process.

Pick a number – say 20 per week – and work your way through your list. It is said that most of us know around 200 people. Make 4 calls per day, and in ten weeks you’ve personally contacted all of them. If lucky, you may even have snagged a project.

But don’t stop there. If you publish a newsletter, ask to add them on your list. You’re not publishing a newsletter? Well, time is a wasting. Consider a short e-mail letter. Now that you’ve made the personal contact, the e-mail follow up is fine and very inexpensive. You want to keep in touch.

Technically, the cold calls above are really warm calls. Since you already know the person, you have a reason to call. But what about complete strangers?

This is where targeted cold calls can work. For example, you just read that the XYZ company just won a contract where your area of expertise could help. Get on the phone and find out who would be a good contact. Check out your contacts on LinkedIn too.

When you find the right person, give them a call or send a letter. But do your research first.  Don’t waste their time “exploring what keeps them up a night” or other similar nonsense.  Rather, offer some ideas or examples of how you have helped others. After all, that is what consultants do.

Here are two examples of cold/warm calling...

The first is Dr. Gary Blank, a fellow consulting engineer. He tells a great story of how he quickly transitioned from corporate employment to full employment as a consulting engineer.

When told of an impending job change, he decided it was time to hang out his consulting shingle. Highly motivated, but not sure where to start, he sent out personal letters to everyone he knew.  Within a month he landed his first project.

Dr. Blank shared that story many times with prospective consulting engineers through his activities with the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Consulting Engineers Network. As a result of his hard work and visibility, he was recently elected the President of IEEE-USA, a capstone to his fulfilling career.

The second is Your Truly. Thirty five years ago as a young sales engineer, I tried a similar approach with some success. Involved with the launch of a new design system, I scoured the want ads (remember those?) for companies seeking design engineers who might use our system.

It only took a few minutes of searching every week, followed up by a short letter with a brochure, and later a phone call. Although not my main source of leads, it did result in a couple of sales. Not only that, my boss even commended me in my next review.

Finally, most people shy away from cold calls. But highly targeted cold calls work, with both acquaintances and strangers. They work best when you first warm them up, and they can be very effective when you start out.

© 2013, https:. All rights reserved.

The tough part is making it a success.

Recently ran across a blog post on business startups. The author suggested consulting, since it was so easy that anybody could do it. Of course, the author had never started and run a full time consulting practice himself. Go figure.

So, time for a short rant…

But the author is right. You can start a consulting practice right this instant. Just call yourself a consultant, order some business cards, and you’re in business. The telephone should start ringing any minute, right?

It really is that simple. Except it isn’t.

Unfortunately, this is a common misperception, particularly by those with lots of credentials (letters that can be put after their name.)  Having already achieved some career success and prestige, they assume the rest of the world will immediately recognize their expertise and abilities.

It is the mousetrap syndrome. You know, “Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door.” Wonder who cooked up that piece of fiction?

No, it doesn’t work that way. You need customers. Furthermore, you need customers who are willing to pay you, too. For solutions. Not ivory tower lectures or esoteric theories, but real world solutions to their real world concerns.

So how do you get those customers? You market. You sell. You peddle your butt off. Hmmm, not so simple anymore.

Maybe, like any business venture, it takes some plotting, planning, and old fashioned hard work. Sorry, THIS blogger is not offering any magic miracles today.

At the fundamental level, all businesses have three components:

• Products or services to sell
• Customers or clients who will buy those products and services.
• A way to connect the parties (aka a marketplace.)

Really, that’s it. Congratulations, you’ve just earned your One-Minute MBA.

Now let’s dig a little deeper, using the old reporter’s method of 5W/H – what, who, why, where, when, and how.

• WHAT do you have to sell? As a consultant, it is your expertise and advice. So what do you have that others might want and be willing to pay for? What are you really good at, AND that has value in the marketplace?

• WHO might buy your expertise? Ah, now you are starting to identify your market or markets. Can you identify niches? i.e. – business/consumer, local/national, demographic, etc.

• WHY would they buy your services? Do they have problems to solve? Or prevent? Do they have dreams to pursue?

• WHERE do your customers hang out? Can you identify groups or organizations do they belong to? Media they read – magazines, newspapers, web? Do they use social media?

• WHEN do they buy? Short or long sales cycle? Seasonal? Impulse?

• HOW do you reach them? Having answered the 5W questions, you may already have a good idea HOW to start. But starting is not enough — you need plan, and then you need to execute the plan, over and over. Wash, rinse, REPEAT.

Ride along here and I’ll do my best to help you understand and address these questions. Ultimately, however, the specific answers will be yours. Incidentally, I’ve been at it this game for over 30 years, and I still ask these questions myself.

Thus ends the rant.

Yes, it IS easy to START a consulting practice, and anybody can do it. The real question is can you BUILD and MAINTAIN a successful consulting practice? It takes time and effort. Just like anything else worthwhile in life.

Happy New Year! Is 2013 the year you make your JumpToConsulting?

P.S. Signup for our newsletter. In 2013, we plan a regular mailing with recent posts and other relevant information.  Don’t worry about spam — our list is PRIVATE.

© 2013, https:. All rights reserved.

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)
• Personal (www.linkedin.com/in/darylgerke)

But first, a quick overview…

The Jump-to-Consulting project is now two years old. The catalysts were questions by my older son, questions by other colleagues, and a fat file for a prospective book. With today’s economy, many people are considering options such as consulting.

I was also intrigued by blogging, and simply wanted to learn more about this Internet phenomena. What better way that to just start a blog. Incidentally, that was the same attitude that got me into consulting. Curiosity, and a desire to learn.

The EMI-GURU project began 30+ years ago, and led to full time consulting in 1987. It has been great fun, and quite successful. I’ve traveled the world, and made a lot of friends along the way.  It allowed me to practice my profession as an Electrical Engineer in a ways I didn’t even imagine as a student or young engineer.

EMI-GURU also provides the grist for JumpToConsulting. Much of what is discussed here is based EMI-GURU experiences. The stuff I talk about is not theory — rather, this is real world and is based on 30+ years in the consulting business.

HIGH-LIGHTS in 2012…

Jump-to-Consulting – The blog is up to 80+ posts. Had hoped to hit 100 posts, but got slowed down with a midyear household move. Still, proved to myself that I can keep a blog going. No burn out, and no plans to stop.

Not many readers (it is a pretty tight niche), but the occasional feedback shows it has helped several make their own JumpToConsulting. So don’t be bashful — your questions and feedback mean a lot, and they do inspire me to keep going. Thanks!

Did two live presentations based on the blog – Consulting for Geeks at DesignCon2012 (San Jose CA) in February, and the Start Your Business Workshop (Chandler AZ) in March. Both were well received, which has me thinking about more in 2013.

EMI-GURU – Celebrated 25 years in full time consulting! Sure don’t know where the time went, but as the saying goes, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” It has been a great adventure, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Now have a second partner for our training business. It is a good fit, as they complement (and do NOT conflict) our original long time partner. Done right, partnerships can work well. We’ll look at this topic in a future post.

Did a live tutorial at the IEEE EMC Symposium in Pittsburgh, and published several blog articles at EE Times. A little bit of giving back to the engineering community.

Personal – Moved! Downsized from a house to a patio home. No outside maintenance – gave up the yard and pool for a spot on a pond. Now watch the ducks, fish, and turtles at play from our patio. Best enjoyed with a libation in hand as the sun sets.

Stuck with the workout routine. This is the fourth year, and not being a jock, I’m proud to say I’m still at it. Feel better after each workout, and realize this is very important at this stage in life.

LOW-LIGHTS in 2012…

Jump-to-Consulting – Still no book. Not as many blog posts as hoped, but given the move and other projects, have kept a fairly steady pace.

EMI-GURU – Business still down. Probably a combination of the economy, and the lack of aggressive marketing. If it were a few years ago, I’d be beating the drum pretty loud. After all, continual marketing is crucial for any consulting practice.

But at this stage, I’m content with the business levels. There are a couple of interesting projects on the horizon. The spring classes were down, but the fall classes were decent.

Personal – Not completely settled in the new place. Even though we got rid of a lot of stuff, still have boxes to through. But we’re starting to see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Life is becoming more simple. (Per Thoreau…Simplify, simplify…)

LOOKING FORWARD to 2012…

Jump-to-Consulting – Start the damn book! With close to 100 blog posts, there is now plenty of material to draw from — the plan all along. Considering an on-line class, along with some personal mentoring. Nominal fees will be involved to offset the costs of running the site.

EMI-GURU – Focus on the technical classes, an area I really enjoy. As an old codger, there is nothing like seeing a younger engineer (and even an old timer) suddenly “get it.”  Love to share what I’ve learned. Will still passively pursue consulting opportunities.

Personal – Spend time with the grandchildren, along with reading, writing, and just “goofing off.”  Got a few home projects in the works, too.

Wishing you all the best in 2013! And thanks for reading my blog.

© 2012, https:. All rights reserved.

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

© 2012, https:. All rights reserved.

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 lesson here.

So what propels critics? In some cases ego. In other cases a desire to tear you down. And occasionally, an honest desire to actually help you improve. Often it is hard to determine the underlying motives.

Not saying you should ignore critics. If the criticism is valid, take it and learn from it. If the criticism is invalid or comes from someone unqualified, just ignore it. Either way, don’t dwell on it or take it as a personal attack (even if it is…).  It is often the price you pay for visibility and success.

Here is a story from early in my career.

I was transferring to a job where I would be dealing directly with customers, rather than being a back room engineer.

Stan, my boss (and a wise retired Marine colonel,) offered some unsolicited advice which later proved invaluable. As he wished me good luck, he added, “You are now going to be highly visible. Don’t take any criticism personally — to those critics, you are just a target.”

At the time, I wondered why he said that. But it wasn’t long before I was hit by some undeserved criticism. Thanks to Stan, I saw it for what it was, and didn’t take it personally. I was just a convenient target.

Fast forward 30 years, and here is another story.

In this case, I was only an observer. One of our colleagues had just published a book, which became quite successful. Unfortunately, that success prompted some petty jealousies within our engineering community.

Another colleague was whining about how the book wasn’t really that good. To which my business partner said, “Well, it’s better than your book.” Miffed, the whiny critic replied, “Well, I haven’t written a book.” The touché by my business partner, “That’s my point.”

As a consultant, you will often be the target of criticism — often unjustified. If so, you can always comfort yourself with this century old quote from Teddy Roosevelt:

It is not the critic who counts…

Not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles,
Or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,
Whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood,
Who strives valiantly, who errs, who comes short again and again,
Because there is no effort without error and shortcoming.

But who does actually strive to do the deeds,
Who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions,
Who spends himself in a worthy cause,
Who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,
And who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.

So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

That quotation has hung in my office for years, as a reminder of what is REALLY important!  

© 2012 – 2021, https:. All rights reserved.

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 established.

We started offering our own seminars at about five years as full time consultants. By that time, we had established ourselves, and were ready to expand the business. Had we tried much earlier, I’m not sure we would have been successful.

It has worked out well. Since 1992, we’ve trained over 10,000 students in our engineering specialty through a combination of public and in-house classes.

The training business nicely  complements the consulting business. Many students become clients, and many clients bring us in to train their colleagues.

But our success was not immediate. We experimented with both content and promotion. After several iterations and a few setbacks, we finally got it right.

So don’t be disappointed if your success is not immediate — one reason why I don’t recommend this as an initial marketing method.

Content

Most training seminars today run ½ to 5 days, with 1-2 days very typical. Longer than a webinar, but shorter than a class. Unlike classes, most seminars are done in a single session — a short cram course where students can focus on the subject alone.

We have found that shorter is better — a major concern is often time away from the office, not the not the dollar cost of the seminar.

Thus, the content needs to be focused and precise.  Most of our seminars range between ½ and 3 days, with 2 days being the most popular for our topics.

The content should also be tutorial. Like writing articles or white papers, your goal is to transfer knowledge, not to impress your peers. Think “How to Tell Time” –-NOT “An In-depth History of Clock Making.”

Thanks to the Internet, there is a trend to offer seminars/workshops on line in one hour chunks. In those cases, it starts to look like a traditional class. Another trend is to record seminars on audio or a DVD.  Like traditional seminars, a lot of effort is still required.

Development

The development time can vary widely, depending on how well you know your material.  Maybe you taught classes or wrote a book based on your expertise, so you already have plenty of content and ideas. But there is still a LOT of work to get to a finished product.

Rest assured, it will take much more time than you thought. And plan on spending more time editing and polishing than on developing the content in the first place.

We’ve seen various rules of thumb over the years. For technical training, we assume  5-10 hours of development per hour of class time. That means a ½ day workshop could take a week from start to finish, and a two day class can easily take up to a month.

Promotion

The next big hurdle is the promotion. Typical techniques include direct mail, e-mail, advertising, and more. No, it is not enough to build that better mousetrap — you need to promote it too!

As part of your promotion, you also need a plan for registration and payment. There are a number of on-line services that can help here. There are also plug-ins for your web site. We’ve used both methods with good success.

One way to ease the efforts is to find a sponsor. The good news is that the sponsor handles all the promo/registration details. The bad news is that you end up splitting the proceeds.

In some cases, you get nothing except the exposure. This is typical for trade shows.

We’ve partnered several times. Our most successful is a 20 year partnership with an electronics  manufacturer. They have been a joy to work with. We recently partnered with a training firm that specializes in military/defense systems, which complements and does NOT compete with our main partnership.

Going alone is the most challenging. If you do so, expect to spend some serious time and money on this. (See barriers to entry.) It can be done, but going alone is NOT recommended for new consultants.

Fulfillment

The final hurdle is the fulfillment. In addition to the presentation, you need to prepare materials and handouts.

If going alone, you’ll need a venue. Will you use a hotel? What about meals and refreshments? What about A/V? Don’t assume anything, and double check everything.

Most of this work needs to be done well in advance, and often involves financial commitments and risks. Be prepared for nonrefundable deposits and guarantees. We’ve had a few failures that cost us thousands of dollars. Try to minimize your risks.

In closing, seminars and workshops can be effective marketing tools. They can also nicely augment your consulting business. But the hurdles are there, so proceed with caution, particularly when just starting out. Don’t fret –there will be plenty of opportunities after you are established.

More examples and information on our seminars at www.emiguru.com. 

© 2012 – 2016, https:. All rights reserved.

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 ask.

He responded, “Good question. Let me think. For me, it was five years. After working hard to launch and build the practice, one day I woke up and realized that I was established, and that I was going to make it. Yes, it was five years after I started.”

I often recalled his comment in those early years after making my own personal JumpToConsulting. wondering when I would feel like that. Things were moving along pretty well, and at the five year point, I FINALLY felt the same way — we were established.

But then, disaster struck. The business suddenly stopped.  It didn’t slow down — it came to a screeching halt. Two major clients suffered business setbacks, and cut back on using outside consultants.

The main niche we were pursuing — personal computers — dried up as the inevitable market shakeout occurred. So did a secondary niche. And finally, an uncertain presidential election put many client business decisions on hold.

Fortunately, we had put enough money aside to weather the storm — a short one, anyway. We used the time to regroup and refocus.

Since we’d done a bit of work on medical devices, we asked how could we expand that business. That led to writing a series of articles for a leading medical magazine, which ultimately led to a book and a nice bunch of new business.

We also looked into several other areas for potential business, and started some focused marketing efforts there as well. The result — within six months we were back on our feet.

So, how long is enough? For us, it was five years to get TO, and then THROUGH, the first big crisis. And having weathered the storm, we realized we were no longer novices — we had truly made it — and were here to stay.

P.S. Don’t despair in the early years — it is a lot of fun starting and building a practice. But it is also very satisfying when you realize you “made it” too!

© 2012, https:. All rights reserved.

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 lawyer’s time and advice are his stock in trade.” Many lawyers today still follow this advice. Thus, the often annoying “six minute” charge for a phone call.

• YES to free advice. As Desert Pete said, ” You’ve got to give of yourself, before you’re worthy to receive… Leave the bottle full for others. Thank you kindly, Desert Pete.” Click here for the Kingston Trio version.

Maybe because I live in Arizona, I prefer Desert Pete. It also better fits my business model. Most of my engineering consultations range from a 1-10 days or more. Thus, charging someone for a quick answer isn’t worth the effort to track the time, prepare an invoice, etc.

Not only that, is can be seen as “nickel and dimeing.” I’m not pursuing five minute jobs — I’m after five day jobs (or more.) So I just chalk up the free advice to marketing.

If my advice helps, I’ll be considered when the customer has a bigger job. That customer is also more likely to pass my name along to others.

Thus, at Kimmel Gerke Associates it has long been our business policy NOT to charge for short phone call inquiries. We’ve always encouraged our class attendees (10,000+) to call/e-mail us with quick questions. Ditto consulting clients.

To date, no one has abused that policy. Well, I did have one. After answering several questions, I finally suggested he needed to get someone on site to dig into his problem. That in itself was good advice, as I had already run out the string on simple solutions. The calls stopped, but apparently he was not going to spend money anyway.

If it looks like it might take more than a few minutes (research, design reviews, written memos) we’ll provide a budgetary estimate. We also guarantee we won’t exceed the estimate without prior approval. This protects both parties. If the scope increases, we’re not stuck with a fixed fee. At the same time, there are no surprises for the client.

This policy might not work for everyone. For example, if you are an accountant or a lawyer, your short answer may be very valuable. And, it may have taken you years of study and experience to get to the point where you can quickly answer the question.

In that case, charging for short questions makes sense. Here are some options to consider:

• Flat fee for questions. ($75-100  for up to 15 minutes or so.) You make a few $$$, and still serve your client. Charge it to their credit card, which eliminates the paperwork. Most companies now prefer to pay small amounts by credit card.

• We belong to a technical answering service that operates this way. Their clients sign up for the service, and when we (as an expert) get a call, we get paid to respond. We don’t make a lot, but it does provide occasional beer money.

• Offer a retainer. Popular with lawyers and business consultants. For a fixed amount per month, you agree to be available to answer questions. You may need to bound this (up to 4 hours per month — phone calls only — no onsite work — no writing reports — etc.)  Get paid in advance, and don’t refund unused time.

• Prepaid coupons for short blocks of time. Once again, charge a premium, get paid in advance, and set an expiration date — perhaps a year. This seems to be quite popular in the personal coaching business.

A closing anecdote. A few years after we started, I ran across a reference to our company on a forum. When asked for a consulting recommendation, the responder said, “Call Kimmel Gerke Associates. Not only are they good at what they do, but they are easy to work with. And they won’t nickel and dime you…”

It was then I realized our policies were working — you simply can not buy that type of advertising. Sharing quick advice is right for us, and we still do so today.

The consulting business is one of relationships, not just expertise. Clients buy services from those they know, like, and trust. Be that person!

© 2012, https:. All rights reserved.

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 chances!

© 2012, https:. All rights reserved.

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. Both started out at the same time, both served the same markets, and both were well compensated.

As an expert in his field, John was rigorous in sticking to his niche. Essentially, he sold the same advice over and over. Within a year, his saw his business slipping, and within two years, he was out of business.

Also an expert, Bob was always stretching himself. He saw each consultation as not only a provider of income, but also a provider of new experience. Within a year, his business was on the increase, and within two years he was doing very well — not only in his original niche, but in several other related areas.

Bob lived happily ever after, while John did not. Not all fairy tales have happy endings.

Why did John fail while Bob succeeded? Well, John was only concerned about filling his financial bank account, while Bob was also concerned with his experience bank account. The bottom line in consulting — you need to make deposits in BOTH accounts.

The experience bank account is often referred to as intellectual property, or simply IP. But IP is dynamic, not static, and must continually be updated and refreshed. After all, clients want fresh ideas and solutions, not the old worn out stuff.

So, keep you eyes on both accounts — financial and experience. Don’t be afraid to stretch yourself — just don’t overreach into areas for which you have NO qualifications. And be prepared to invest some time to become competent in new areas to expand your practice.

So what have you done recently to add to YOUR experience account?

© 2012, https:. All rights reserved.