You are invited to attend a one-half day consulting workshop on the Arizona State University campus on November 12, 2022. Cost is minimal ($25) and includes lunch. This event is sponsored by the IEEE Consultants Network, of which I am a long time member. This is a kick-off to reactivate the Phoenix chapter. Everyone is welcome… […]
Here are four pricing rules I shared as a comment a Blue Penguin Marketing, a favorite blog I follow. –Always set your fees to make a profit — that way you can’t go broke –Never cut fees — cut scope instead –Don’t be greedy — a happy client will often come back for more –If […]
Although not a big fan of marketing gimmicks, here is one that proved successful for us. Beer was involved… The back story. When I moved to AZ in 1996, I ended up with a 602 phone number, while my business partner in MN had a 612 number. Furthermore, we had an answering service (also 612), and […]
Here is a recent question from blog reader regarding client reports: I’m looking at moonlighting, and have been enjoying digging through your blog. So far I have one quick question – did you have to deal with securing your data or reports? Was it was ever a concern for you? Did you just send any documents […]
Here is an answer posted to the question “Any Regrets About Retiring Sooner?” at a private financial forum to which I belong. I thought the question applicable here regarding making a JumpToConsulting. When my business partner was dying from cancer, I asked him if he had any regrets about our business. He replied with an ironic […]
Never judge a book by its cover, right? And never judge this consultant by what he is wearing – particularly on the weekend… The more I thought about the following personal story, the more humorous it was to me. I hope you enjoy it too. In my last post, I mentioned my wife breaking her […]
This post is in response to a question posed by the AICN (Alliance of IEEE Consultant’s Networks.) A company posted a “consulting position” on the Consultant’s Finder that sounded a lot like an employee (W-2) search. This prompted a discussion by members is this was appropriate for the site, and whether a consultant should even […]
Good advice from Craig Thompson, JD/EE/PE, an engineering colleague turned attorney. I first met Craig many years ago as an engineer in Minnesota. He now practices patent law in Texas. These five tips are from a recent mailing (comments are mine.) (1) Create – and Use – Strong Contracts. We used a few simple two page […]
During our most recent FREE Monthly Teleconference, questions were raised about insurance. This led to an interesting discussion I thought best to share here. But first, let me share some personal opinions on insurance. These are based primarily on an insurance class I took as an undergraduate engineering student. Although not a technical class, looking […]
Here is a follow on to a recent post about a marketing experiment shared with my colleagues at Teach Your Gift Pro. Thought I would share a recent marketing experiment – a free one hour “Lunch & Learn” for as a sample of a multi-day technical class. Reminded me of a movie trailer.Worked well — we […]
For over 25 years, training was an important part of our consulting business. Financially rewarding, too. But I must confess we didn’t plan it that way… Here is the story, as shared with colleagues in a program in which I participate. (Teach Your Gift Pro by Mirasee.) My first encounter with Mirasee was in 2018, […]
As the year ends and another begins, it is once again time to reflect and plan. Got this idea years ago from The Art of Nonconformity, and have done it each year since. As always, I’ll review three categories: 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 […]
This post was inspired by a recent post at Consulting Success, titled Our 10 Guiding Principles:Inside our Consulting Business and Life. It resonated with me, and got me thinking about the principles that guided Bill Kimmel (my late business partner) and me at Kimmel Gerke Associates. The first three (Do Some Good – Have Some […]
Good advice from a recent newsletter by Bob Bly, fellow engineer turned successful copywriter and consultant. I could not say it better myself. Dear Direct Response Letter Subscriber: Subscriber GR writes: “I’m mostly interested in starting and running a successful freelance copywriting business. I’m not a fast writer, but I write good copy. In my last job, […]
With tax time* upon us, I thought it might be helpful to share my thoughts on financial advisors (aka consultants.) I am all in favor of paying for sound financial advice from professionals. Although semi-retired (and financially independent) I follow several financial and retirement blogs. They often provide confirmation of the my financial/retirement philosophies, along with […]
Ran across this advice years ago, and it has guided me through several job changes, including becoming an independent consultant back in 1987. The advice consists of three questions: COULD I do it? SHOULD I do it? And if so, HOW how do I do it? COULD I DO IT? This is the most important, […]
Giving away advice can be good marketing, and inexpensive too. This was prompted by a recent query. With rare exception your potential clients do not want to “steal” your ideas — rather they want to know you understand their problems and can fix them. And those who do want to steal your ideas are not […]
The Number One question I’m asked by those interested in consulting is “How Do You Get Your Clients?” My Number One answer is usually “Peddle your behind off.” Meaning, if you are not willing to market and sell your services, you are better off not pursuing independent consulting. But to be successful, you need to […]
Good advice from a recent newletter. Based on personal experience, there is too much risk for blowback and hard feelings. #1–Your friend or family member might not have any clue about market rates for freelance projects. #2–They might assume that they’re entitled to a steep discount because they know you. #3–If the business relationship goes […]
Time for a mini-rant. In recent months, I’ve received numerous unsolicited e-mails that follow this format: The first e-mail offers some unwanted service, like updating my website, increasing my leads, or even handling my HR hiring or payroll needs. (The latter is amusing as I am a one person firm, which simple research would have […]
