Since I selected an Independence Day motif for my blog, it is only appropriate to offer some Independence Day musings. As stated elsewhere, freedom was a major motivator in my JumpToConsulting. But I didn’t realize it right away. Rather, that epiphany came a few months later.

Driving back from a client and listening to the radio, the commentator was discussing small business. He then quoted a survey that showed that the majority of small businesses were started for freedom — not, as many assume, for money or even power.

I about drove off the road. Yes, I suddenly realized! That was the main motivator for me too. The first few years were lean — made a little less money and worked many more hours. But it was all worth it for the freedom to do my own thing, to make my own decisions, and even to clean up my own messes.

But freedom is not for everyone, and that is OK too. Some people prefer the security of a steady paycheck, or the camaraderie of the water cooler. Other have family responsibilities that preclude taking financial risks. And many are very content with things as they are in the world.

Over the years, I’ve run into several examples of the above. After brief discussions, I’ve even discouraged some of them from making the JumpToConsulting. After all, not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur. But if you want to change the world and the itch is there, it is hard to fight it (see previous post.)

I suspect our nation’s Founding Fathers felt the same itch. After all, many  were already independent businessmen — Ben Franklin, Paul Revere, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and more.  Some were even  traditional “consultants” — John Adams (lawyer) among others.

All valued their freedom, and were willing to work, fight, and even die for it. As Ben Franklin said at the signing of the Declaration of Independence “We must hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.” Said in humor, it reflected the seriousness of the situation.

Fortunately, none of us face being hanged for making a JumpToConsulting, or any other jump.  Their success gave us the freedom to pursue our independence today.

So thanks Ben, Paul, Tom, George, John, and all the rest!

Happy Independence Day, and remember, “UNCLE DARYL wants YOU.. to find your FREEDOM too!”

© 2011, https:. All rights reserved.

Have some fun… do some good… make some money. The perfect consulting project meets all three criteria. Two out of three is still often OK, and on occasion, I’ve even stooped to one out of  three. But these are three criteria by which I judge potential consulting projects.

Have some fun… For me, this is probably the most important. Life is simply too short to spend time doing things you do not (or no longer) enjoy. This comes from someone who daily wonders, “Where did the time go, anyway???”  Or, as Bob Parsons of GoDaddy says (Rule 16), “We’re here for good time — not for a long time.”  (Note – My older son was the GoDaddy controller in the beginning, working with Bob on a daily basis – now that was fun.)

Having fun means different things to different people. For some, it is learning something new.  For others, it is creating something, or perhaps solving a complex problem. Or it may just be the simple satisfaction of doing your best.

Having fun also means liking the people you work with with. You don’t need to put up with clients that are overly abrasive.  Unlike a full time job, as a consultant you can actually “fire” an obnoxious client. I’ve done that a couple of times in the past 30 years.

Do some good… This is closely related to the first criteria. In fact, doing good can provide immense satisfaction, and can still be the basis for a successful consulting practice. Best of all, you don’t need to do your good for free (unless you want to.)

A good example of this is Lynn, the retired nutritionist mentioned in an earlier post. Lynn originally volunteered her valuable skills to a local Native American community in the Phoenix area.  Her sole goal was to do some good.

After several months, she was asked is she could help other communities throughout the state.  Only this time, she would be paid. Unknown to her, a grant had been secured to support her efforts. She said yes, and truly had some fun, did some good, and made some money. And she  nicely augmented her retirements savings, too.

Make some money… Although third on the list, this is the ultimate goal of any business. Even non-profits need money to fund their efforts and pay their expenses. Nothing wrong with not making money, but if you do that all the time, you probably have a hobby — not a business. Even the IRS looks at it this way.

Not every project needs to make money right away. For example, you may be testing a concept or idea, and find that you lost money on the initial try. If that happens, don’t despair — take the lessons learned and try again. After all, you paid for the lessons.

However, you eventually want to make money on your consulting projects. Don’t just focus alone on having fun and doing good. Without profits, you don’t get to stay in the game. See the advice from my friend Marv.

Finally, if you end up making a lot of money and still want to change the world, you can always give it away. Look at  Bill Gates — his foundation has done a lot of good, and I can’t help thinking he has had a lot of fun along the way.

Although you’re not Bill Gates, you can still have some fun, do some good, and make some money with your business.  Comments?

© 2011 – 2017, https:. All rights reserved.

When dealing with prospects or clients, age is a very important parameter. One size (or approach) does not fit all.

According to many authors, there are four major age groups that coexist today, each with their own distinct culture and ways of doing things. All were influenced by the conditions when they were growing up.

This distinction is particularly important when marketing, as you need to tailor both your message and your methods to your target clients. If you serve multiple age groups, you may need to use multiple methods and approaches.

Here are the four age groups, along with some comments:

Traditionalists – Born between 1925 and 1945, they grew up with the Depression, World War II, Korea, and the Cold War. They are often frugal, and value dedication and discipline. Most are now retired, but many continue to work or are “emeritus” employees. Some are computer and technology literate, but many more are not.

A good way to market your services is in live groups, such as short presentations or seminars. This approach is popular with consultants serving senior citizens, such as financial or estate planners. Another way is written communications, such as magazine articles or even newsletters. Electronic methods such as Twitter, Facebook, blogs, web-sites, and e-mail are likely not very effective for this age group.

Boomers – Born between 1945 and 1964, they grew up with Vietnam, civil rights, and Watergate. They are generally optimistic, team oriented, and independent. Many boomers are also “workaholics.” Since many are approaching retirement, financial security is important. Most are computer literate, but may or may not not be involved with the latest in social media.

A good way to market your services is a hybrid of live/written communication, such as live seminars or webinars, and written magazine/newsletters combined with web sites. E-mail is less effective due to the high levels of spam. Blogs are probably a good method for the computer literate in this age group, but other social media may be less effective.

GenX – Born between 1965 and 1982, they grew up with layoffs, divorces, and daycare. As such, they often challenge authority and seek a work/life balance. The readily multitask, and value  independence, tolerance, and diversity. As the first generation to grow up with computers, most are highly computer literate.

A good way to market your services is through web sites and interactive social media, such as blogs,  Facebook, and Twitter. For most, print media such as magazines and newspapers are not as effective as on-line newsletters and e-zines.

GenY  – Born between 1983 and 2000, they grew up with the Internet, terrorism, and globalization, They tend to be creative, busy, and highly social. As the youngest, they also typically have the fewest family responsibilities. In fact, many are in an extended adolescence.  This age group is both highly computer and highly Internet literate, and generally very comfortable with the latest in technology.

A good way to market your services is through web sites and interactive social media, or more personal alternatives such as meet-ups. This is the Twitter and texting generation — if you can’t describe your offer in 140 characters or less, you’ll likely miss the target.

Finally, a personal anecdote. When we first used e-mail in the early 1990s, most of the younger engineers would contact us via e-mail, while the older engineers would call on the phone. Within a few short years that changed, as e-mail became the preferred medium. But even today, our newsletter list is still split about 50/50 between e-mail and snail mail.

If you are serving client across different age groups, you may need multiple methods to reach them. Finally, it is your client’s age that matters, not your own.

© 2011 – 2012, https:. All rights reserved.

Do you need a  website, particularly if you are just starting out in consulting?

YES! Just like you need business cards, letterhead, envelopes, and some sort of brochure. Not only does a web site (and other simple collateral) provide information, but it shows that you are serious about being in business.

Think of your web site as your on-line ambassador, spreading good will about your practice.  Although passive, web sites are often combined with a blog and newsletter to make them more active marketing tools. All three can increase your visibility/credibility.

One important caveat. Make sure your web site (and blog/newsletter) appear professional. A sloppy or poorly maintained site can do more harm than good.

If you don’t feel comfortable doing this yourself, hire a web/blog designer. Thanks to advanced technology, web designers are relatively inexpensive. Your time is valuable, and you probably already use other professionals like a lawyer and accountant.

I hired a web designer for both this blog and our engineering consulting website (www.emiguru.com), and I’m glad I did. He saved me much time and frustration, and the final product was much better than I would have produced anyway. (Thanks, Sunil!)

Another caveat. Don’t count on your web site to get the phone ringing off the hook. A web site alone is passive. You still need to pursue active marketing, such as articles, networking, speaking, direct mail, and more.

As mentioned in an earlier post (20 Ways to Attract Clients), getting leads is like fishing — the more lines you have in the water, the more bites you will get.

Finally, don’t worry about the numbers. For many web sites (and blogs,) counts become a matter of pride. Am I getting more traffic than yesterday? More than my competition? But as a consultant, do you really care?

You are not an on-line marketer hawking the latest gimmick —  rather, you are a professional making your presence known to those who might benefit from your expertise. You are a niche player, not a jack-of-all trades.

Getting started. Here are some suggestions for your web site:

• Register your own domain. Yes, it may cost a few dollars over using a free site, but your own domain makes you look serious and professional. While you are at it, register the same name with similar extensions (.net, .org,  .info, etc.) This prevents squatters from setting up a similar site. Had this happen some years ago,  and it was expensive to resolve (lawyers and all…)

• Provide contact information. One of my pet peeves is having to hunt for address, phone, or e-mail information on a web site. On every page, you should have either a Contact button or your full contact information. You also need a Contact tab at the top of the page with full contact information (including an e-mail form). Make it easy for your visitors to contact you!

• Make the site easy to navigate. I prefer tabs across the top of the page, with a few simple sidebars. A simple site map can be helpful. For an initial web site, you only need a few tabs, such as Home, About, Services, and Contact. I like to augment those with Welcome, FAQ, and Resource tabs. The latter provide both a personal touch and additional information. However, don’t get too carried away — keep it simple.

• Consider a combined blog/website. With static pages and a blog platform, you can have both.  If you don’t want to blog right away, just make all the pages static. You can easily add a blog later, and all the tools will be there. This site uses WordPress (with a custom theme), and I am very pleased. WordPress is widely  popular, and has an almost endless variety of “plug-ins” for future expansion and features. (See my earlier post on Blogs.)

• Consider adding a newsletter. Building a client list is crucial to building your business. We’ll cover this in more detail in a future post, but adding a newsletter to your web site is a quick way to start gathering names. You can purchase “plug-ins” or use external services (AWeber or Mail Chimp) to facilitate this. I must confess that I haven’t done much with a newsletter on this site (plans are brewing), but have found a list to be very effective on our engineering consulting website.  (See my earlier post on Newsletters.)

As your business grows, you’ll likely want to add other features to your web site. The possibilities are almost endless, but make sure anything you add is useful to your clients. Don’t do it just because it is the latest “cool” thing to do.

For example, here are some extra features we added to  www.emiguru.com when we updated last year. This represents the current status, but as a “work in progress”, more updates are coming.

Incidentally, the consulting web site runs on Joomla rather than WordPress, as it is a bit more complex.  (As an aside, I’ve found both Joomla and WordPress easy to maintain.)

• On-line Store – Three books, and a software product we developed. One of the books was out of print, so we offer it as an E-Book. Linked to Paypal and e-junkie for payment and fulfillment.

• On-Line Registration – Allows sign-up and payment (Paypal) for our public seminars and webinars. Works well, and has simplified business.

• Blog – Short technical articles of interest to our readers.  The blog postings are now mirrored on an industry publication, giving us wider exposure.

• Resources – Past newsletters (20 years worth) and a detailed technical bibliography of publications, web sites, and other resources unique to our niche. Considering more stuff in the future. The goals — help our clients, and keep them coming back.

So, make a web site a high priority if you are considering a JumpToConsulting. You can start out simple, and grow it as needed. Finally, get some professional help — don’t try to do it all yourself.  After all, as a  consultant, that is what you are advising your clients to do.

Comments or questions? I’d love to hear from you.

© 2011 – 2016, https:. All rights reserved.

Adding a new category to this blog — Encouragement. The original intent of this blog was to provide “nuts and bolts” information for those considering making the JumpToConsulting. You know — if you just knew how to do it (or how others had done it), the rest would be a piece of cake.

But recently it hit me that fear and uncertainty were even bigger issues. Not that I’ve never been afraid, but I don’t recall being paralyzed by fear either. Particularly in business situations — after all, as Bob Parsons (founder and CEO of GoDaddy) says in his Rule #4 , “…if it doesn’t work, they can’t eat you…”

The epiphany occurred at a recent one day workshop by Alan Weiss, the Million Dollar Consultant (TM.) It was part of his Friday Wrap (TM) program, which I enjoy as a thought provoking weekly tonic on the consulting business. When he brought up the importance of self-esteem, however, the floodgates opened.

I sat there amazed as several very successful and intelligent attendees confided their irrational fears. Some were concerned about achieving success (Can I do it?), and some were concerned about handling success (Do I really deserve it?) One even confessed fears about losing it (What if I can’t repeat it?)

Thus, the new category — Encouragement. No, this won’t be rah-rah stuff, but I’ll occasionally share some ideas, along with some helpful references.

To kick this off, here is a reply to a recent posting by Chris Gullibeau at the Art of Non Conformity (a favorite blog of mine.)

Chris tells of Rachel, his young seat mate on a recent international flight. She was very successful, but quite discontented with her job. The problem —  it was a “good job” and thus hard to leave. If nothing else, what would people think? After all, she had spent years to get two financial degrees, and was now jetting around the world for her employer. She was a “success,” but clearly unhappy.

Judging by the numerous replies, many others felt the same. So, to offer some encouragement, I submitted the following:

• It seems like only yesterday I pondered these questions. One guiding principle for me – “I didn’t want to wake up at 60 and regret not even trying…”

• So I made changes. Scary at times, but most worked out fine.

• At age 30, left a comfortable job as an engineer to try sales. Scary at first, but had fun. Made some new friends. Learned a lot.

• At age 34, left to join a startup. Fun a first, less fun later, lost money. (Even got fired one day.) Learned a lot.

• At age 36, started a consulting firm. Failed. Crawled back into a corporate job. Learned a lot.

• At age 38, went back into field sales. Great fun, made good money, made more friends. Learned a lot.

• At age 41, started consulting company again. Market crashed the first day in business. Succeeded anyway. Been a blast. Made more friends. Learned a lot.

• Age 64, still consulting. No regrets. Financially secure. Also raised two sons, married 43 years. Still learning, still having fun. But where has the time gone?

• Big lesson to share — Life is way too short to waste doing something you no longer enjoy! Don’t wake up at 60 wishing…

In short, I did it, and you can too. No horn tooting here — just offering some encouragement.

So let me know if you found this helpful. And remember what Franklin Roosevelt said on his first inauguration — “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” True in 1933, and still true today!

© 2011 – 2022, https:. All rights reserved.

This resource review covers three books by best selling author Guy Kawasaki.

The original intent was to review his latest book, Enchantment. But after reading it, I decided to include two more books: The Art of the Start, and Reality Check. These three nicely combine both the practice and the philosophy of starting businesses.  They are recommended for anyone contemplating a business — consulting or otherwise.

Guy is an entrepreneur supreme. He started as a technology evangelist at Apple, and was very instrumental in the success of the Macintosh. Later he co-founded Alltop.com (an on-line magazine rack) and Garage Technology Ventures (a venture capital fund.) Along the way, he wrote ten books. In his spare time (???), he plays hockey and enjoys life with his wife and four children.

Guy also graciously shares his insights and experiences. When I mentioned him in a previous blog post, he responded with an offer of his new book, Enchantment, just hot off the press. When it arrived, I couldn’t put it down — it was truly enchanting!

Having already read Reality Check, I then decided it was time to read the Art of the Start too.  It had been on my “To Read” list for a while anyway. Glad I did. Here are my comments on the three books:

• Enchantment is about changing hearts and minds to create an affinity for your products or services. The early chapters address issues such as likeability and trustworthiness, followed by chapters with practical marketing information. Finally, you don’t need to be on our own — he even includes a chapter on enchanting you boss — and more. A quick and worthwhile read.

• The Art of the Start is a practical guide for anyone who wants to start anything. While the sections on pitching and raising capital are not directly applicable to consulting startups, the details on branding and rainmaking are very relevant. Good business advice for any small business.
  

• Reality Check focuses on critical strategies for startups, with chapters on innovation, marketing, selling, communicating, competing, and even beguiling. While much of the focus in on product firms, the lessons are applicable to service firms too. Almost 500 pages of great stuff.
  

As you may have noted, his books are aimed at small business startups in general, not service firms in particular. The details on marketing and sales, however, are invaluable for anyone  considering a JumpToConsulting. Remember, this is the Guy who put the Macintosh on the map against some pretty stiff odds.

Guy also shares his expertise on line through his blog at the AMEX Open Forum. Visit his home page at www.guykawasaki.com for a link to his blog and other resources. I’ve not met Guy, but certainly look forward to meeting him in the future.

All three books by Guy Kawasaki:
-Enchantment – 2011- Portfolio/Penguin – ISBN 978-1-59184-379-5
-The Art of the Start – 2004 – Portfolio/Penguin – ISBN 1-59184-05602
-Reality Check – 2008 – Portfolio/Penguin – ISBN 978-1-59184-394-8
www.guykawasaki.com

© 2011, https:. All rights reserved.

Sick and tired of your daily commute? Ever dreamed of running a consulting firm from a cabin in the mountains or a condo on the beach? Or maybe an RV, or even an overseas location?

Well, some people are doing that already, as “location independent consultants.”

Thanks to the Internet and other advances in technology (powerful lab top computers, cell phones, satellite access) the dream is not only feasible, but practical as well.  By relocating to a less expensive area, you could even save  money and make your start up more financially viable. Here are several examples of people practicing location independence.

The Woodwards (www.locationindependentprofessionals.com) – When Lea and Jonathan Woodward got fed up with the rat race in the UK, the decided to set up their own Internet based business. Lea had started out as a London based management consultant, and Jonathan was graphics designer.

Both had gone through some rough times, including the death of a parent and a job loss.  Either of those events can cause you to take a fresh look at life, and where you are going. Looking for less expensive digs, they left the UK in 2007 in search of a new home and a new lifestyle.

Then the unexpected happened — they discovered they liked being nomads, and ended up living and working in the Caribbean, South Africa, and Thailand. They started a blog and newsletter about their experiences, and wrote several detailed guides (all available on their web site.) The guides sell for a nominal cost, proving you can also make a living as trailblazers, helping others to follow your lead.

Geeks on Tour (www.geeksontour.tv) – Since 2003, Jim and Chris (along with Odie the perfect poodle) have lived full time in their RV as they toured the country. No, they are not retired — they run a popular computer consulting and training business serving the RV community.

In addition to their information packed blog, they provide computer seminars at RV parks and rallies, on line video tutorials, and install the popular Datastorm satellite dishes. As full time RVers themselves, they are both knowledgeable and well respected within their “target market.” What an interesting niche for a couple of fellow geeks!

As they state in their blog, they are still dependent on their savings, but they are on a path to a self-sustaining lifestyle. In the meantime, they are living their dream, not just thinking about it.

Your truly –(www.emiguru.com) – As part of a two person engineering consulting firm, my business partner and I often joke that we may be the smallest company with two corporate headquarters — one in Minnesota and one in Arizona. Yet, thanks to today’s technology, our dispersed firm works very well. With broadband Internet and FedX, it is not much different than being down the hall or down the street from each other.

But wait – there’s more. On a recent plane trip, I discovered my seat mate was a fellow consulting engineer. He was heading back to his single person office in China, where he was part of a  mechanical engineering firm with single person offices in China, Singapore, India, and the US.

When I asked what led him to China, he explained that after working with a client there, he decided to try living there for a few years. Incidentally, he was about 60 and had escaped from corporate life a few years back. No rocking chair retirement for him – he was now having a blast.

So, if you have the wanderlust or just want to try a new location, location independent consulting might be right for you. Check it out.

© 2011, https:. All rights reserved.

Consultants come in all types of sizes, shapes, and specialties. However, most fall into one of two broad categories — management consultants or technical consultants. While both provide services and advice aimed at helping the client, there are some significant differences.

As a consulting engineer, I am more familiar with the technical category. Nevertheless, I’ve known and worked with a number of management consultant over the years, so I feel comfortable sharing observations on this category as well.

Technical consultants are usually problem-oriented, and typically live in a “concrete” world. Most are specialists by education (engineers, doctors, lawyers, accountants, architects, etc.) with years of advanced professional education and experience.

• Most technical consultants focus on solving technical problems or addressing compliance issues. (Think doctors, accountants, lawyers, and most engineers.)

• Other technical consultants, however, focus on creating new ideas, concepts, and products. (Think architects and design engineers.) They all apply hard science, logic, and even art to achieve results.

• Technical consultants often need to be licensed by government boards before they can offer their services to the public. The licensing requirements are strict, and require in-depth examinations combined with suitable professional experience. As such, they can confer a high degree of credibility.

• A word of caution. Non-licensed professionals can be censured or even jailed for practicing without a license. Don’t even think about practicing medicine or law without a license.

Management consultants are usually process-oriented, and typically live in an “abstract” world. Most are generalists by education (business, liberal arts) but may have extensive experience in business specialties (marketing, advertising, personnel, etc.)

• Most management consultants focus on solving business problems or improving business processes. Profitability and ROI are major measures of success (or failure) for management consultants.

• Management consultants are typically more “people oriented” than technical consultants, and often apply soft science (psychology or market research) and emotional appeals to achieve results.

• Management consultants rarely require specialized legal licenses, but may still need simple business licenses.

• In order to enhance credibility, many  management consultants pursue certifications by nonlegal entities. Depending on the client, these credentials may or may not have meaning, so choose your credentials with care.

Two different types of consultants — two different cultures. In my experience, the two types sometimes even distrust each other, but much of this is due to misunderstanding. Personally, I have great respect for both types of consultants. Hopefully this post has promoted some tolerance regarding these cultural differences.

As a final thought, consider opportunities where the two cultures collide. For example, if you have a technical background combined with marketing or finance experience, you’ll have a big advantage with high tech clients over the liberal arts major.

The same is true if you have management background combined with legal or medical experience — you’ll have much more credibility in your core community than a generic consultant. I’ve seen successful examples for both.

The bottom line — understand the differences, and then build on your own unique strengths and experiences.

© 2011 – 2012, https:. All rights reserved.

For this month’s resource review, I’ve selected Rainmaking Conversations by Mike Schultz and John Doerr. This brand new book describes a sales approach based on their proven RAIN sales model. Well written, this book should be on every consultant’s bookshelf (after reading it, of course.)

The authors are co-founders of the Rain Group, a sales training and sales performance improvement company. Their customers include professional service firms and other companies that sell complex products and services (technology, pharma, medical devices, etc.)

As such, they certainly understand the unique challenges of selling intangibles like consulting. They also co-authored Professional Services Marketing, which nicely complements Rainmaking Conversations.

Incidentally, if you are brand new to consulting, rainmakers are those who generate new business. In large firms, a few rainmakers often bring in most of the business for everyone to work on. In a small practice, however, everyone needs to be a rainmaker!

This book uses their RAIN model that shows you how to:

• Build trust right from the first contact (R – Rapport)
• Uncover both problems and dreams (A – Afflictions/Aspirations)
• Make the economic case for purchase (I – Impact)
• Paint a vivid word picture for the future (N – New reality)

The book emphasizes sales conversations, not manipulation. In short, selling consulting should NOT be like selling a used car — but rather like talking to a friend or colleague. When placed in that context, selling consulting services can even become enjoyable. (It is for me…)

In addition to the books, the Rain Group has a strong on-line presence. They host a couple of free blogs and a fee based membership web site . The latter offers numerous reports, white papers, webinars, podcasts, and other useful resources. The current annual fee is $299, and is well worth it.

The Rain Group also offers a two day seminar based on the RAIN sales model. Last year, they turned their popular seminar into an on-line class, complete with forums and monthly workshops.  If you like the book, you may want to consider their on-line program for even more depth.

One caveat for geeks – the book focuses on business consulting rather than technical consulting. As such, RFPs (Requests For Proposals) are not covered.  RFPs are often mandatory for technical consultants (like engineers and architects) who deal with government agencies (local, state, and federal.) Certainly not a show stopper — the rest of the material is excellent.

I recently met Mike Schultz (loved the bald head), and have been a RainToday member for a year. I also took their on-line selling class and enjoyed it. After 23 years of consulting and 10 years in high tech sales and marketing, I still picked up some useful ideas.

The books and other services by the Rain Group are highly recommended.

Rainmaking Conversations by Mike Schultz & John Doerr
John Wiley & Sons, 2011 – ISBN-978-0-470-92223-1
RainToday.com –  RainMaker Blog – Rain Selling Blog

© 2011, https:. All rights reserved.

Looks can be deceiving…

My business partner and I were cruising the show floor at a professional symposium, when one of the younger members of our technical community stopped us and asked, “How do you guys do it, anyway? Everything you touch turns to gold…”

We both looked at each other, and grinned.  I said, “Do you want to tell him, or should I?”  And then we both proceeded to explain that, in fact, many things we had tried over the years had NOT worked.

Or as I summed it up, “You’ve never seen all the dead bodies. We killed them quick, and then buried them. Occasionally we were able to nurse one back to life…”

Here are three examples, and the lessons learned:

• Although we have a successful training business as part of our consulting practice, it took us several times to get it right. And even then, we’ve had to readjust.
• Lesson learned — if you thinks the idea has merit, change it as needed.

• After five years in business, just when we thought we had it all figured out, our primary market tanked and the business stopped — dead cold.  It was panic time, but then we diversified into several other markets.
• Lesson learned — don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

• In the late 1990s, we joined the dot.com frenzy with an on-line web portal. We had visions of big advertising bucks that never materialized.  It also was a huge time and money suck. We finally sold it to a magazine where it fit much better than with a consulting practice.
• Lesson learned — Some businesses just don’t belong together.

With over thirty years of working together, we’ve had a few other misadventures, too. No, not  everything we have tried has succeeded — that is the nature of  business.

As the old Kenny Rogers song goes, “You got to know when to hold them, and know when to fold them… ”

But even with the disasters, consulting game is still great fun!

© 2011 – 2021, https:. All rights reserved.

Professional organizations offer a ready made network of friendly potential clients. The secret is to be an active participant, not just a passive member. As an added bonus, these organizations can help dispel the loneliness that often accompanies consulting, particularly for solos.

Most technical professions (medicine, law, accounting, engineering) have well established organizations. They may be national, or even international. They often host national symposiums where you can meet professional leaders, as well as the ever important vendors.

Don’t overlook the latter. While vendors may not be prospective clients,they can be very effective recommenders. Thus, it is usually in your best interest to cultivate contacts among the vendors serving your profession. Finally, as salespeople, most are friendly and gregarious — I’ve always enjoyed time spent with vendors.

Professional organizations exist for general business, too. Many focus on specific disciplines (sales, marketing, purchasing, etc.) Like the technical professionals, they often host national symposiums with presentations by business thought leaders.

While one can become active at the national level in either type of organization, your immediate efforts may be better spent at the local level. The reason — less politics, and more direct contact with actual potential clients. This is particularly helpful if you are targeting a geographical area, such as your own backyard.

We’ve had very good results with this strategy. Here are two examples:

• When we started out, we volunteered to edit a regional newsletter for our professional organization when the position vacated.  As it was a bit of work, the local leaders were happy to have some new volunteers.

• In addition to editing the newsletter, one of us needed to attend monthly board meetings.  What a great way to network! When our local power utility had a serious interference problem, one of the board members immediately recommended us. Why? To her, we were a known and trusted consulting firm.

• When I moved to Phoenix, the local professional chapter had been inactive for many years. A colleague and I decided to reactivate it, and hosted a couple of meetings at a Mexican restaurant –always popular in Arizona. We were soon joined by a third “conspirator”, and the chapter was off and running.

• We are still active many years later. Not only has this affiliation resulted in several significant projects over the years, but I also made several new friends through our common technical interests.

The best part of all this is that you can begin doing this today. Furthermore, your employer will not be threatened or upset, but will likely be delighted by your initiative. And even if you never make the JumpToConsulting, the professional contacts you make through your professional organization will only help your career.

Finally, you’ll be doing some good. As my father always said, “Cast your bread upon the waters…”  To receive, you first must give.

PS – Posts may be sparse over the next month, due both to business and a medical issue with a hand that needs to heal.  Hope to pick up the pace again in May.

© 2011 – 2020, https:. All rights reserved.

Roger Boisjoly, P.E.  – Truthteller

This success story is a shining example for all consultants — not just engineers. Roger is best known for trying to stop the Challenger Space Shuttle Launch in January 1986 due to his concerns about faulty O-rings in the rocket boosters. Although often referred to as a whistleblower, Roger prefers the term Truthteller.

Roger never intended to become a consultant. As a mechanical engineer, he enjoyed working in the aerospace industry for 25 years, and probably would have spent his entire career doing what he loved.

But all that changed the day Challenger exploded!

At the time, Roger worked for Morton Thiokol, the manufacturer of the solid state rocket boosters on the Space Shuttle program. In July 1985, Roger wrote a memo to his managers warning of a faulty design that could result in a catastrophe. Due to program concerns, Roger’s warning was ignored. So were subsequent warnings.

Roger’s memo was based on an investigation that revealed failures in the O-rings used to seal sections of the rocket boosters. These failures were aggravated by low temperatures. Further investigations resulted in a warning not to launch at temperatures under 53 degrees.

With overnight temperatures of  30 degrees for the Challenger launch, Roger and his engineering colleagues tried to stop the flight. They almost succeeded, but were subsequently overruled by management. As a result, seven crew members lost their lives in a fiery explosion 73 seconds after liftoff.

A presidential investigation followed the disaster, and Roger was called as a witness. His  testimony exposed the truth about senior management’s failure to heed warnings from him and his colleagues. Warnings about it not being safe to launch in freezing temperatures that would result in a disaster.

That testimony ended his career with the Space Shuttle program. Retaliation was swift and brutal. Roger lost his position and was blackballed from the industry. He paid a stiff price for simply telling the truth.

But Roger survived, and became a consultant. He passed his Professional Engineering (PE) exams 29 years out of college. Now licensed to practice engineering as an independent consultant, he started his own forensic business. That business gradually evolved into speaking engagements as he traveled nationally and internationally to lecture about Professionalism, Organizational Behavior and Ethics.

Roger is considered a hero in the engineering community. For his honesty and integrity, in 1988 he was awarded the Prize for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility by the American Association for the Advancement for Science.  He has received numerous other honors as well.

Roger retired from full time speaking requiring air travel in 2005, but still keeps semi-active driving to southern California several time a year to speak to selected managers about his experiences.

Integrity matters… Thank you, Roger, for yours.

Edit – It is with regret I report that Roger recently passed away.  RIP, Truth-teller.

© 2011 – 2012, https:. All rights reserved.

Newsletters are effective lead generators when you already have a list of  past business contacts. What? You don’t have a list? Well, I guess we need to talk about that real soon. Until then, read on.

Newsletters are a great way to stay in touch, and to remind people you are in business. They are particularly useful when clients need you on an occasional basis. In those cases, you want to be top of mind when the next need arises.

Newsletters can be printed, digital, or both. Most are short, typically 1-4  pages. For printed newsletters, the format is often fixed, while digital newsletters are more flexible. Digital versions,  of course, are cheaper as they have virtually no printing or distribution costs.

As a result, digital newsletters are very popular, and are often used as list bait on blogs and web sites. This can be effective in further developing your list. The key to success is to make sure your newsletter is newsworthy for your readers.

If  you don’t feel up to publishing your own newsletter, prepared ones can be purchased. For example, my accountant sends a newsletter with general business and financial tips. He does not write it, but his name and company information appear on the masthead.

Incidentally, my accountant’s newsletter is printed. I like that, as I can take it with me and read it on the next flight to somewhere. After I’m done, I often pass it along to others. Of course, his name gets passed along as well. No, print media is NOT dead.

Here is my own newsletter story. After about two years in business, we realized we needed a way to keep in touch with our existing clients in a proactive way. So we started a newsletter for our friends, clients, and colleagues. Since this was pre-Internet, the newsletter was printed.

We decided to publish it four times a year. The pleasant surprise was that every time it hit the streets, the phone would  ring with a new job  or two. The newsletter was actually paying for itself! How great is that?

Over twenty years later, we still publish it, but now only twice a year. We eventually went electronic, giving readers the option to receive it by snail mail. The current split is about 50/50, so don’t dismiss printed versions. Although a bit expensive, we feel it is worth it.

We experimented with format, and settled on a formula. That made it easier to write, as we now just  “fill in the blanks.”  We decided on four pages.

Click here  to see archived past copies – great for credibility!

• Front page – Short introduction, upcoming industry events, and a paragraph or two on some item of interest, often about our services.

• Pages 2 and 3 – First, a focus article, much like a blog post. Second, brief items of interest such as a book review or perhaps a client question (sanitized of course.) Third, some tidbits (Bullets) and finally, some “engineering humor”.

• Page 4 – Summary of our services, contact information, and a copy of a business card advertisement we run in the technical magazines. As the newsletter is folded, half of page 4 is for addressing.

Finally, you don’t need to wait to try a newsletter. As mentioned other places, I started two newsletters as a Sales Engineer in the big-corporate world. Both were targeted at my customers, who liked them and gave me positive feedback. They also let me work out the kinks for my consulting newsletter.

As an aside, when I offered these newsletters to our corporate marketers, they were rejected. Both cases of NIH (not invented here), I suppose. But that also reinforced my belief that most big company marketers are not entrepreneurs, and often do not fully understand the sales process. One of the reasons I made my JumpToConsulting.

Not to be too harsh, but if you are with a big company, you may want to divest yourself of many of your big company ideas before you make your JumpToConsulting.

Questions or comments?  I’d love to hear from you.

© 2011 – 2016, https:. All rights reserved.

Gene K. Baxter, Ph.D., P.E. – Baxter Engineering

I met Gene a dozen years ago through a professional group in Phoenix. A mechanical engineer, Gene specializes in forensic consulting (accident investigations, product failures, etc.) Typical clients are attorneys or insurance companies that need a professional to investigate and assist in legal proceedings and, if it goes to trial, to act as an expert witness.

Gene had started a local professional group, the Forensic Group, composed of a range of forensic experts — engineers, accountants, nurses, and more. Since I had done some forensic work myself, he invited me to join and attend their monthly meetings.

Although curious about the Forensic Group, I was even more curious how Gene got into this particular business. His story was most fascinating.

It was Friday, February 12, 1993, and Gene was suddenly out of work. Intrigued by both consulting and forensics for some time, he hung out his shingle as a Forensic Consulting Engineer two days later — Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1993.

The good news is that Gene had very solid credentials — a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, and a Professional Engineer’s (PE) license. The bad news is that he had no prior experience in forensic work, although he had experience as a consulting engineer while employed by GE.

So what to do? Gene went to the law library at a nearby state university, picked up some law magazines, and reviewed the consultant ads in the back of those magazines. He then called several of the consultants to see how they got started in their business.

One of these forensic engineers was Roger Boisjoly, who you may recognize as the Whistleblower (Roger’s term is Truthteller) prior to the Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster in 1986. It turns out that Roger lived only a few miles from Gene, so they got together for lunch.  (Roger’s story is so interesting we’ll cover it in a subsequent post.)

Soon after the lunch with Roger, Gene contacted another local forensic engineer, and had lunch with him, too. Both engineers were very gracious in sharing ideas and encouragement. They did not see Gene as a competitor, but as a potential colleague.

Gene thought likewise. Since he enjoyed meeting both, he suggested a third lunch with all three of them. One of them brought along a fourth friend who did forensic accounting. Over lunch, they decided to meet once a month to discuss their mutual interest in forensics, and thus, the Forensic Group was born.

Gene’s first consulting job came from this network. A few months after their first meeting, Roger asked if Gene was interested in a job related to a hospital  HVAC (heating, ventilating & air conditioning) system. Thanks to that referral and the help from his group, Gene’s business was off and running.

Over the years, Gene has received several referrals from this network. Likewise, Gene has steered many jobs to others in the network when they were better qualified to handle the job. It has been mutually beneficial for everyone.

Gene pursued other avenues too — always a good strategy. There is no “silver bullet” when marketing a consulting practice.  As one example, Gene started calling insurance companies to see if there was any interest in his services.

Although it took a number of phone calls, Gene hit pay dirt with one automobile insurer. They retained Gene to review rear end collisions. He became their “low-speed rear-end” expert, which resulted in dozens of consultations for this client alone.

By end of the year, Gene was making almost as much as he had as an employee. While not usually the case for a startup, it shows what diligence and determination can accomplish. That, and the help of some newfound friends.

Although semi-retired, Gene is still active, and the group he formed still meets monthly. If you are interested, you can visit Gene’s web site at www.forensicgroup.com. You can find Gene’s information there, too.

A quick disclaimer. I no longer pursue forensic work, but I’ll discuss forensic consulting in a future post. As Gene says, it can be both intellectually and financially rewarding.

Do you have a success story to share?  If so, please send it in.

© 2011 – 2015, https:. All rights reserved.

This happened soon after I went off on my own. Cruising along at 30,000 feet on my way to consulting job, I was catching up on my reading.

In addition to technical materials, I’ve always tried balance my reading with business materials. Even though I’m an engineer, I’m also a business person. You know, profit & loss, sales & marketing, and all that stuff.

The business article I was reading was about the itch that drives entrepreneurs to start and run small businesses. And then the big quote hit me, as the author bluntly stated, “There are only two known cures for entrepreneur’s itch — success, or death.” It seems that once you catch the bug, you can’t get rid of it.

In a way, I felt relieved. After all, my venture into my own business hadn’t killed me. But I could really appreciate the drive that keeps one going. I had tried once before and failed, but regrouped, and this time it looked successful. Later on, it took my business partner and me four iterations to get the training side of our business right.

So be warned — once smitten, there is no cure. The itch will succumb only to success — or death.

Wishing you success, and a long and happy life!

© 2011 – 2015, https:. All rights reserved.

A blog can be an effective way to generate leads, particularly if you enjoy writing and are willing to do so on a regular basis.  A well written blog also enhances your credibility and visibility. But the best reasons for starting is business blog are that you can do so immediately — and even at no cost!

Thanks to services like Blogger and WordPress, you can be on the air within minutes. No need for web designers or Internet hosting when starting out. Sure, as your blog grows, you may want to upscale and have your own URL, but there is no reason that you can not start blogging right now.

Don’t expect immediate results — it takes time to develop a following. While a published magazine article will reach thousands right away, it will much longer to reach that many readers with a new blog. Most successful business bloggers were at it for several years before things really took off. But when they did…

A well written blog, however, often leads to magazine articles (both digital and print) giving you wide exposure. Editors are constantly on the prowl for good content, so your blog is also an on-line portfolio. Don’t be surprised to be invited to contribute to leading magazines. You can even recycle your posts — most editors today no longer insist on original unpublished content.

Here are three examples from right in my own backyard in Arizona:

Escape from Cubicle Nation. Pam Slim started blogging about six years ago. As a new mom and a successful training consultant, she wanted to spend less time on the road, so she decided explore “life coaching.”  It took a while, but her blog led to guest postings and magazine articles. Those eventually led to her best selling book. (Click Here)

StartUp Processionals. Marty Zwilling started blogging about two years ago. As a recent retiree and successful serial entrepreneur, he wanted to share his experience and help others just starting out. In less than two years, his blog led to articles in the Wall Street Journal and Forbes, where he now has a regular column. He just published an excellent book for entrepreneurs. (Click Here.)

EMI-GURU. In addition to JumpToConsulting, two months ago I added a blog to my engineering consulting web site. I then explored mirroring the blog on a leading technical magazine. They added it to their blogroll, but just asked if I would consider being a columnist instead, using the same materials. Honored, I said yes.  (Click Here.)

What about blogs versus web-sites? I recommend both for consultants. While a blog is dynamic,  a web site is static. The latter is important for details like your capabilities, biography, etc.  Thanks to static pages, platforms like WordPress even lets you combine the best of both worlds. For a simple web site, this can work quite well.

As your blog or business grows, you’ll eventually want to consult with a web designer. Good news — the content is not lost. You can always import the contents of your old blog into a new one. We’ll explore web sites in a future post.

So where do I start? There are dozens of  books and blogs with advice on blogging. Here are three I have found particularly useful:

ProBlogger – Darren Rowse blogs from Australia to a worldwide following. He started out blogging about photography, but it grew into a blogging mini-empire. He sells an excellent e-book — 31 Days to Building a Better Blog. About $20.

Art of Non Conformity – Chris Gullibeau shares his blogging experiences in another excellent e-book — 279 Days to Overnight Success. FREE.

Geeks on Tour – Jim and Chris Guld tour the country in their RV helping fellow RVers (mostly retirees) understand and use all the neat stuff on the Internet.  Join them for $39/year and have access to their library of simple video tutorials. They will show you how you can begin blogging with Blogger in under an hour.

So, if you are thinking about making the JumpToConsulting, start thinking about how to use a blog as a marketing tool. Setting one up is easy (and can be free), but you need to feed it good content on a regular basis to make it a success.

See you in the blogoshpere!

© 2011, https:. All rights reserved.

My parents built and remodeled several houses. Not to make money, but to build a better life. And, I suspect, because they thoroughly enjoyed doing it. When one  project was done, it was usually time to start another.

Often, my brother and I were pressed into involuntary servitude. We pounded nails. We poured concrete. We tore down a barn. We  put on a roof. We learned how to plumb and wire and plaster. And much more.

Looking back, I now realize what great lessons we learned at a tender age. You see, my brother and I now each have our own small business. THANKS, Mom and Dad!

Thirty+ years ago, my business partner and I started building a consulting firm. We were a couple of young engineers with a dream of going off on our own. Incidentally, my business partner’s father was a carpenter. Hmmm…

It was nine years from the start until the day we “moved in” and became full time consultants. We could have done it in less, but we took our time. We plotted and planned, we marketed and built a customer base, and we stashed away as much money as we could. We pounded a lot of nails.

When “moving day” finally arrived (October 1987), the stock market crashed. That was almost  like having a fire. But we survived, and the business did not burn down. Better yet, we now had our own place to do business — in our own way, too.

Building a business is a lot like building a house. You start with a vision. You draw up some plans. You gather materials. Then the real work begins — you dig the hole, lay the foundation, frame the walls, and much more.

It all takes time. Eventually you get there, but not overnight. There are days when all you do is pound nails or cut wood. But you persist. After the walls go up, you add the roof, and finally the doors and windows. You finish the outside, and seal the place up.

Even then, you are still not ready to move in. Now you have all the inside to do — insulation, wiring, plumbing, painting, trim, and more. You wonder, will it ever end? Is all this effort really worth it?

By the way, this is where many fledgling business owners quit.  Frustrated. Out of energy and/or out of money. Sadly, they walk away with the house only partly built.

But hang in there — you are just about there. With a final bit of persistence, “moving day” finally arrives. And then you wake up one morning, and realize that you really ARE there. You have customers and cash flow. Congratulations — you’ve built a business!

A closing comment. I’m once again building a new place with this blog. A little retirement cabin, perhaps. A place where I can sit on the porch, sip lemonade, and share the lessons I’ve learned. I hope you find them useful.

In the meantime, as long as you’re here — can you hand me that hammer?

© 2011, https:. All rights reserved.

For this month’s resource review, I’ve selected Million Dollar Consulting by Dr. Alan Weiss. Having now written 32 books on the subject, Alan Weiss is no doubt a guru on consulting. Anyone considering consulting should read what he has to say.

His materials are based on his own experiences of starting and running an international management and organizational development firm. As the book title implies, he has consistently produced over over $1 million/year in revenues. Although his background is in management consulting, his sound advice applies to all types of consulting.

The book contains an abundance of ideas. The focus is on helping existing consultants take their practice to the next level, but he includes advice for beginners too. Be sure and get the latest version (2009), as he has a added new and pertinent information.

In recent years, he started several mentoring programs, such as his Consulting College and other workshops and seminars. Most appear to be aimed at established consultants, so they may not be of immediate interest to those contemplating a Jump To Consulting. The book, however, is an excellent place to start.

I’ve not met Alan Weiss, but I have read several of his books and have followed his blog for the past year. I just recently subscribed to his weekly Friday Wrap series of podcasts and videocasts. Like a good Dutch Uncle, his style can be blunt. I find his ideas useful and thought provoking.

Million Dollar Consulting by Dr. Alan Weiss.
McGraw Hill, 2009  – ISBN-10:0071622101
www.summitconsulting.com & www.contrarianconsulting.com

© 2011, https:. All rights reserved.

White papers have become the rage in recent years, and for good reason.        They are an excellent way to showcase your expertise and build credibility. A well crafted white paper can quickly establish you as an expert among experts.

So what is a white paper, anyway? In very simple terms, a magazine article you self-publish. White papers strive to position your company as a solution to problems. They typically demonstrate this through case studies, test results, or position statements.

Unlike magazine articles, however, the visibility part is up to you. Most people today post white papers on their web site. It is popular to use white papers as bait for e-mail addresses, as part of a list building strategy. This can be effective, but the white paper must be worthwhile.

Another use for white papers is for sales collateral. They can be included in sales calls or sales responses to build your credibility. They can also be used as handouts at trade shows or conferences. In that case, however, be sure to get the contact information before you give them away.

White papers are not subject to editorial limitations. You control the content, layout, and length.  Here are some comments on each of these parameters:

Content – The material must be useful to your potential client or customers. This can include case studies, test or survey results, top-ten lists, and the like. Make them information rich – not salesy!

An acid test I’ve always applied to any written piece is, “If I never do business with this person, is the information still useful and of value?” If it is just a sales pitch (we’re better than XYZ and here’s why) it is more likely to offend rather than to convince.

In the technical world, white papers are often called application notes.  These have been around for years, and typically show how to design and use a manufacturer’s products. Follow the examples to get similar results — you don’t need to reinvent the wheel.

Layout – This is probably one of the biggest advantages over a magazine article. You can coordinate the look and feel of your white paper with the rest of your collateral – letterhead, brochures, and web site. Spend the time and money to make your white paper look professional.

A professional printer can be a big help here. They can advise on technical issues like paper stock, font, graphics, and more.  (Except for the paper, this advice applies to digital versions, too.)  They may even save you money by making your white paper fit a standard format to eliminate printing waste. We’ve worked with a professional printer for years, and consider them “part of the family.”

A professional copywriter can help, too. If you are not comfortable writing, consider hiring a “white paper specialist” .  On the other hand, if you are comfortable, you might even consider writing white papers as a potential service. We’ve done several white papers for our technical clients over the years.

If you do decide to use outside help, pick a topic or two and make a preliminary outline. Do your homework — don’t just hire someone to “write a white paper.”  That is like hiring an architect to “build a house” without any idea what you want in the first place.

Length – It depends, but 6-12 pages is typical. Longer than a newsletter, but shorter than a booklet. Think of an essay or in-depth magazine article, but without the editorial constraints (article length, number of words,  number of figures, ad space, etc.)

As such, you can add as much detail as is needed to make your point. Just don’t overdo it. You are not trying answer every question imaginable. 

Given the right circumstances, white papers are worth the effort. But always remember — the goals are to educate, enlighten, and establish credibility — not to sell. You are trying to begin a conversation, not to close the deal.

Questions or comments?  Please send me a message via the contact page.

© 2011, https:. All rights reserved.

An important sales lesson …

As a brand new sales engineer, I was on my way to meet with meet with an important prospect.  Fresh out of training, I was ready to dazzle and amaze them with all sorts of technical details about our new test system.

Fortunately, I struck up a conversation with my airplane seat mate.  Always curious, I asked him what he did  for a living.  He politely explained that he specialized in financial planning for small business owners, focusing on those with a net worth of  1-10 million dollars.  He had been at it for several years, and was achieving some good success.

He then asked about me, and I explained how I was an engineer that had just gone over to the dark side of sales.  As a newbie, I then asked if he had any advice he could share.

He smiled, and replied, “Establish your credibility — fast. That is what I did with you. Without that, you might have just considered me another peddler.”

Wow! Based on that advice, I tried a brief experiment in my sales call.  Rather than jumping right into the technical details, I gave a little personal background on myself.  How I had a BSEE degree, was a registered PE (Professional Engineer), and had spent the last 10 years in design positions. And how this reflected my company’s commitment to serve our customers.

It took less than a minute, but you could feel the change in the room.  I was no longer “just another peddler”, but rather a fellow engineer with credibility.  And yes, I eventually made the sale.

How would you establish your credibility?

© 2011, https:. All rights reserved.