Selecting the Right Consultant – How Do Companies Decide?

cherry_girl

Best Practice lessons from the employment arena Companies usually put a lot more effort into hiring employees than they do into hiring consultants. Larger companies actually have a standard selection process for hiring employees – this includes gates like: -- a completed application and reference checks, -- 2 levels of management signing off on the new hire, -- the same people interview all candidates for a given position, -- standard interview reviews and feedback These are all examples … [Read more...]

Acknowledging Your Own ‘Stock Value’

Recently, I had a big ‘personal event’ in my life (I got married!) and for the week before and the week after the wedding, it was difficult to stay as focused on my work and my clients as I normally am. I had every intention of working on client projects right up until the day before the wedding and to return to work the following Tuesday since we weren’t taking our honeymoon right away—I wanted to minimize the impact of my marriage on my clients. However the clients I had active … [Read more...]

Grow Your Consulting Business With Change

"If you're not moving forward, you're moving backward." I can't locate the originator of that quote; it's been attributed to a few people. Nonetheless, consider this for a moment. There are new start-ups every day—businesses that are bringing new, different and improved services and products to the market. Have you checked on your competition lately, or asked your clients how they feel about your offerings? If you don't want to lose your clients to the competition, you need to routinely … [Read more...]

Should I Become a Consultant: Part III

In Parts I and II of "Should I Become a Consultant," the focus was on already-established professionals who were contemplating making the jump from corporate to consulting. If you're a new college grad, the question takes on a whole new dimension. I recently asked the WIC Community List members the following question, "I'm a new college graduate, and I'm thinking of going into consulting. What would you advise?" About 20 WIC consultants replied. Here's a summary of their advice … [Read more...]

Should I Become a Consultant: Part II

In Part I of "Should I Become a Consultant," I wrote about understanding what a consultant's life really involves, exploring the waters a bit, answering the question about whether the entrepreneurial life is right for you, and researching the field that interests you, whether its marketing, management, sales, or some other field. Next, research specific areas and ways you can help clients. What Problems Can You Solve Well? Think about the types of problems you want to solve, the … [Read more...]

Should I Become a Consultant: Part I

With the current economic uncertainty, more and more people will likely be contemplating a consulting career. Odds are, if you're reading this blog, either you know someone who's entertaining the idea or you, yourself, are considering making the move. So, what's the first step in deciding to become a consultant? Start asking questions. Understand what's involved. Explore your options. Some may think it's easy to start, manage, and grow a consulting practice, while others may be frightened by … [Read more...]