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 […]
According to a recent survey of clients seeking technical consultants, these were the top four areas of need: Robotics Block Chain Cyber Security Artificial Intelligence This information courtesy of Michael Bryant in a webinar last week, Building the Consultant Practice of Tomorrow Using Today’s Online Tools. Fellow engineer Michael founded Software Synergistics, a successful software […]
A “side hustle” is a great way to try out consulting, without having to leave your day job. That is exactly what how my late business partner and I started our engineering consulting firm almost 40 years ago. Read about our side hustle here. As such, it is a pleasure to share a brand new […]
Scored the hat-trick*… meeting THREE of my favorite bloggers/authors/philosophers all in one week. How great is that? Chris Gullibeau – Art of Non Conformity – Chris was in town promoting his latest book, Born For This, already #5 on the NY Times nonfiction list.(To be reviewed in a future post.) Like his earlier two books, […]
Writing technical articles (or white papers) can be very effective marketing methods. They create both credibility and visibility at low cost, and can produce high results. With over 200 articles, it certainly worked at Kimmel Gerke Associates! Getting articles published, however, takes time and effort. It may seem mysterious at first, but help is on […]
Just received this query from India. Wow — we have an international following! But as I’ve noted here before, consulting is both international and location independent. Assuming others might find this useful, I’m sharing it here. Hi, Your website is highly informative. I ask you a question because you have real time experience as an […]
Pamela Slim’s second book nicely complements her first book (Escape From Cubicle Nation), and it greatly enhances her own personal Body of Work. If you’ve been reading my blog, you already know I’m already big fan of Pam – blogger, career coach, and fellow Arizona desert dweller. Plus her husband is Darryl – how could […]
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 […]
Just finished reading this book. A great resource for anyone (including consultants and wannabe consultants) seeking financial freedom along with occupational freedom. This is the latest book by Dr. Thomas Stanley, author of the bestsellers The Millionaire Next Door and The Millionaire Mind. Unlike too many financial guides with their special formulas on getting rich, […]
Been a while since I did a resource review. For this month, I’ve selected the Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. It seems appropriate, since happiness (as in job/career satisfaction )is a common goal for those making a JumpToConsulting. Recently picked this book up at the Omaha airport (Go Huskers…) Although vaguely aware of the book […]
Chris Guillebeau’s latest book (The $100 Startup) contains a wealth of information for anybody considering the jump to ANY small business (not just consulting.) It is a mix of inspiration and real-world examples backed up with proven business advice. This is Chris’s second book. The first, the Art of Nonconformity, encourages people to follow their […]
Just gave a talk titled “Consulting for Geeks – So You Want to be a Consultant?” at DesignCon2012 in Santa Clara, CA. With over 100 attendees, it confirmed my suspicion that many of my technical colleagues are considering consulting — at least secretly anyway. And why not? If you are a professional (engineer, architect, accountant, […]
You are invited to join me… at an upcoming talk at DesignCon 2012 on Consulting for Geeks. This is an update of a talk I gave at last year’s IEEE EMC Symposium. Sixty people showed up for that presentation — as the LAST talk of the LAST session on the LAST day. Turns out a lot of […]
Here are four web sites that specialize in consulting which you may find useful. I’m sure there are more — please let me know if you have favorites to share. –Summit Consulting Group – www.summitconsulting.com– Alan Weiss, Ph.D. – Focus on taking successful practices to the next level. Strong emphasis on management/business consulting. Dr. Weiss […]
If referrals are golden, then multiple referrals are platinum! As you become established, cultivating referrals should be a high priority. Here is a personal example, just published in Million Dollar Referrals, the latest book by Alan Weiss. When asked for examples of “greatest referrals” earlier this year, I responded with the following story. It is […]
For this month, I’ve selected What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard Bolles. Updated almost every year since it was first written in 1970, this is often recognized as the Bible of job hunting. The analogy is certainly appropriate, as the author is an ordained Episcopalian priest. The catalyst for writing the book was his […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
For my second resource review, I’ve selected Shenson on Consulting by the late Howard L. Shenson. For over 20 years (mid-1970s to mid-1990s) Howard Shenson wrote books, published newsletters, and conducted seminars that focused on beginning consultants. Before he suddenly passed away in 1994, he was known as the “consultant’s consultant.” Howard’s materials were based […]
