Recently, in a spurt of ‘abundance thinking’, where I was convinced that 2010 is going to be a MUCH better year than 2009 (I can’t afford to think otherwise, can you?!), I decided to do an inventory of people/resources I can turn to when my workload is too heavy to do it all myself. Like many fellow consultants, I can perform every function needed to support most client projects myself, but have found it very wise to outsource certain portions of my research projects when I have a heavy … [Read more...]
Here comes 2009!
January 5, 2009 By 2 Comments
Welcome back to work, everyone...hoping that everyone took some good family time off over the holidays since it sure seemed like our clients did! The great thing about taking a little break is that it gives perspective--and I come back optimistic and eager about the new year...I saw trends over the holiday that are quite promising...I was asked to submit 3 different proposals, which doesn't normally happen...I have 3 projects booked for this month, which doesn't normally happen. With those … [Read more...]
Work as if Your Client’s Business Is Your Business…
October 9, 2008 By 2 Comments
...it's a philosophy I've always followed. And it's one that I know has made a difference in the quantity and quality of work that I receive. Well, as it turns out a small survey (Ensuring Sustainable Value from Consultants) conducted by UK-based Management Consultancies Association (MCA) supports my party-of-one "research." Act as if You're an Employee RainToday.com (you'll begin to see a regular thread in my posts, as I often read articles by them that I think others would find … [Read more...]
Email — Set It Up Right!
October 8, 2008 By Leave a Comment
One of the challenges all consultants have in running their businesses is finding and setting up the right technology to support them. Getting your technology set up right can make all the difference in your productivity. So let me give you my #1 organizational tip... One of the best technology decisions I ever made for my business was getting my email set-up on a Microsoft Exchange server. Before this I collected my email through my POP account provided by my Web hosting service. I'm sure … [Read more...]
Raising Your Game via Collaboration
October 8, 2008 By 2 Comments
Collaboration Is Hot! Collaboration is a hot topic with several of my clients -- it's a strategic tool for them to be more innovative, competitive, and generally more effective. They're implementing entire efforts around how to improve collaboration among their employees all over the globe. As organizations go global, the question of how to make virtual relationships work effectively is a key one. It's not Just for the "Big Boys" Collaboration as a strategy is essential for us as … [Read more...]
To Blog or Not to Blog, that Is the Question: Part I
October 7, 2008 By 1 Comment
Coincidentally, as the women of WIC worked to launch our first blog -- to coincide with WIC's 10th anniversary celebration on October 16 -- two different articles on blogging reached my inbox. One was from a favorite e-newsletter of mine, the Rainmaker Report by RainToday.com, and the other came from the Silicon Valley WebGuild. Look Before You Leap (Aka Plan Before You Blog) Michael W. McLaughlin, contributing editor at RainToday.com, urges consultants to ask some key questions before they … [Read more...]
Welcome to Women in Consulting’s New Blog on All Things Consulting
October 5, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Welcome to the new Women in Consulting (WIC) blog. As president of WIC, I'm excited about this new resource and hope you will be, too. We at WIC are dedicated to providing a place to connect and share with other like-minded professionals who are interested in building strong businesses. WIC was founded 10 years ago by a handful of women meeting in the back of a coffee shop in San Carlos, CA. Today, we're over 400 members strong. Not only do we provide ongoing in-person programs for … [Read more...]
