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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
When considering WHAT to consult about, you should also consider WHO you will serve. There are three general niches to consider: B2B – Business to business B2C – Business to consumer B2G – Business to government Each niche calls for different business approaches. When starting out, it is best to focus on one of the three. You […]
Making mistakes are part of starting and growing any business (including consulting firms.) In fact, if you’re not making some mistakes, you’re probably not trying hard enough — nor are you learning. Here are five mistakes I’ve made: (1) Not sticking to the knitting – Back in the late 1990s, we got caught up in the […]
When trying to decide on what to consult… don’t go with the cool stuff that everybody else wants to do (and thus won’t pay for)… rather, go with the hard stuff that others don’t want to do (and will gladly pay for.) We learned that lesson thirty years ago transitioning from part-time to full-time consulting. […]
Time for a mini-rant… While I try to stay politically neutral, this seems particularly appropriate these days… Don’t mix business with bigotry! Last year I read about a pizza place that was under fire for saying they would not serve at a gay wedding. Then they whined that the press was out to crucify them. Really? […]
Some times yes … sometimes no… sometimes maybe… Here is a quick overview: –If you are a business consultant, you probably don’t need a license other than possible tax licenses. There are no licensing boards for business consultants. –If you are a professional consultant, however, you may need a license before offering your services to the […]
Here is a link to a recent fee study by Consulting Success. While this blog focuses on general business consulting, technical consultants should find this of use as well. FYI, typical fees at Kimmel Gerke Associates were project based. Typical projects were in the $5,000 – $20,000 range and up. Typical annual compensations exceeded our […]
Time to begin a new series… on marketing… the last in the triad of “getting business.” The other two elements are generating leads and making sales. Like the legs of a stool, all three are equally important. Don’t overcomplicate things. Getting business is much like going fishing. There are three simple steps: Marketing – Decide what […]
Recently did a half hour interview on writing magazine articles, on of my favorite (and successful) marketing methods. The interviewer was Michael Katz, the founder/owner of Blue Penguin Development, a one man firm that teaches solo professionals how to better market their practices. Earlier this year, Michael formed the Blue Penguin Content Club. For $9.95/month, […]
As the “featured guest” of the Blue Penguin next Tuesday (August 23, 2016). I’ll be sharing insights on writing articles to build your credibility/visibility as a consultant. Join the Blue Penguin Content Club, and you can catch the session too. Click here. Way back in 2013 I wrote about the Blue Penguin and the Likeable […]
This post was inspired by a 2011 post by Pam Slim (Avatars, Ecosystems, and Watering Holes), where she discusses creating you own healthy business ecosystem. But what happens when an ecosystem collapses? Most people panic, but a few recognize the opportunities — often excellent for starting a consulting practice. Scientists tell us every major extinction […]
