The Business of Consulting (ePub)

List of Exhibits on the CD-ROM xv Foreword, by Jim Kouzes xix Preface xxiii ONE So You Want to Be a Consultant 1 What Is Consulting? 1 Four Ways to Get Started 2 Why Consulting Now? 7 Myths About Consulting 13 Rewards and Realities of Consulting 18 Just What Are You Getting Yourself Into? 20 TWO Talents and Tolerance 25 Skills for Success 26 Personal Characteristics of Successful Consultants 29 Roles You May Play 30 Signs of a Mediocre Consultant 32 Your Personal Situation 33 Caution: Business Owner Ahead 35 Entrepreneurial Characteristics 35 THREE Dollars and Sense 41 How Much Money Do You Require? 41 How Much Should You Charge? 44 Selecting a Pricing Structure 51 Other Pricing Decisions 54 Other Charges 55 Fee Increases 57 Ethics of Pricing 58 Money Discussions 60 Value of a Guarantee 61 FOUR Starting . . . 63 What's in a Name? 64 Choosing an Accountant 66 Business Structure 67 Business Plans 69 Start-Up Costs 86 Your Niche 87 Your Image 88 Experience 93 FIVE . . . And Staying in Business 99 A Marketing Plan 100 Do I Need a Website? 107 Surprising but Practical Thoughts on Marketing 108 113 Tactics for Low-Budget Marketing 114 Contacts with Potential Clients 122 Proposals and Contracts 132 How to Refuse an Assignment 140 Ways to Stay in Business 146 SIX The Cost of Doing Business 147 Plan for the Worst 148 Watch Your Cash Flow 149 Track Expenses 156 Set Aside Petty Cash 163 Charge Your Client 166 Project Revenues 170 Deal with Bad Debts 172 Keep an Eye on Your Numbers 172 Protect Your Capital Investments 176 SEVEN Building a Client Relationship 179 The First Meeting 181 Four Phases of Building a Client-Consultant Partnership 182 How to Improve the Relationship Continuously 194 It's the People 197 How to Maintain the Relationship After the Project Is Finished 197 More Value for the Client 198 How Many Clients Do I Need? 200 Ensure Success 200 EIGHT Growing Pains 203 Adding People 204 Growing Without Adding People 218 Expand Your Geographical Market 227 Do

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