On August 16, Women in Consulting (WIC) will launch its 10^th Annual Best Practices Survey. Hundreds of consultants share what they do from pricing to closing deals to increasing productivity and more.

There are lots of reasons why you should take the survey, which runs August 16 – September 9, including results are shared with survey participants in a comprehensive report.

But here are a few reasons not to participate in the survey and thus ignore blog posts and emails from us telling you how to participate.

10.   You’re not human. Only men and women from Earth can take this survey. Sorry, neither Martians nor Venusians allowed.

9.     You’re not a consultant. No getting around this one. It’s a survey for consultants.

8.     You don’t like contests. Everyone who participates is entered into a drawing for several prizes: Flip camera, WIC workshop, and WIC webinars. And the winner of the “referral” contest gets to attend the member-only meeting—even if s/he isn’t a member. But it doesn’t matter, because you don’t like contests.

7.     You don’t have 10 – 15 minutes to spare. Fifteen minutes of your time to get the latest insights into consulting best practices from leaders in their field? Nah, too much of a commitment.

6.     Average hourly consulting rates? What’s the big deal? You’re a lone wolf who follows her own path and doesn’t care what others are charging.

5.     You’re content with your annual revenue.

4.     Business best practices of seven-figure consultants are so ho-hum.

3.     The latest consulting trends bore you.

2.     You know all there is about running a successful consulting business.

And the # 1 reason NOT to take the survey…

…You have too many clients and don’t want any more.

In case these reasons aren’t persuasive enough—and you still want to take the survey—subscribe to this blog to get the details delivered to your in-box. Or if you’re on the WIC Community list (a benefit to all WIC members), watch for an email on August 16 containing instructions and a link.

By: Avery Horzewski

Originally scheduled to close today, we’ve decided to extend the deadline for participating through Friday, May 15, 2009, to ensure we collect the richest data possible. A few important reminders:

• Participation is completely confidential
• Everyone who participates receives the results of the survey, which includes trends in consultant compensation (current and historical), as well as best practices from top consultants
• It takes only 10 – 15 minutes to complete

Take the WIC Compensation survey now

Every year, Women in Consulting (WIC) conducts its compensation survey. And every year, we get rave reviews about how this survey helps consultants benchmark their individual practices against those of the most successful consultants. Not only do the results inspire participants to do something a little different to grow their businesses further, but local and industry news sources track the annual results as well.

This year, the economy is on everyone’s mind. Whether your business continues to expand in spite of – or because of – the economy, or you’re noticing a slowdown, or you’re moving at the same pace as last year, we’d like to hear about your experience. The survey closes on May 11, 2009.

Survey Details

The survey takes about 10 – 15 minutes to complete. To thank you for your time, all participants who complete the survey (whether or not they’re WIC members) will receive the survey results and be entered in a drawing to win one of five prizes: 

• A seat in any future WIC workshop or seminar (one winner)
• A set in a future WIC webinar (four winners)

The survey asks some detailed questions about your business, so have the following information handy for the May 2008 – April 2009 timeframe when starting the survey:

• Total revenue for the past 12 months
• Trends in consultant compensation
• Best practices from top consultants
• Number of subcontractors used
• Total amount paid to subcontractors and/or employees

If you’re affiliated with WIC in anyway, the survey also asks a few questions to help us understand how WIC can help you with your business and how you rate the benefits of being part of WIC. We use this data to guide our decision making to ensure we’re doing the things that will provide the most support for our members and their businesses. (If you’re not affiliated with WIC, you’ll automatically skip these questions.)

We’ll present the results at the WIC members-only meeting on Thursday, June 18th. Nonmembers will receive the survey results after the survey closes, providing they submit an email address when completing the survey.

Please feel free to pass along this survey to any fellow consultant. The more people who complete the survey, the better results we all receive.

Thanks in advance for participating! We appreciate your time and value your input.

Participate in the 8th Annual WIC Compensation Survey

By: Avery Horzewski

Every year, Women in Consulting (WIC) conducts its compensation survey. And every year, we get rave reviews about how this survey helps consultants benchmark their individual practices against those of the most successful consultants. Not only do the results inspire participants to do something a little different to grow their businesses further, but local and industry news sources track the annual results as well.

This year, the economy is on everyone’s mind. Whether your business continues to expand in spite of — or because of — the economy, or you’re noticing a slowdown, or you’re moving at the same pace as last year, we’d like to hear about your experience. The survey closes on May 11, 2009.

Participate in the 8th Annual WIC Compensation Survey

Survey Details

The survey takes about 10 – 15 minutes to complete. To thank you for your time, all participants who complete the survey (whether or not they’re WIC members) will receive the survey results and be entered in a drawing to win one of five prizes: 

• A seat in any future WIC workshop or seminar (one winner)
• A set in a future WIC webinar (four winners)

The survey asks some detailed questions about your business, so have the following information handy for the May 2008 – April 2009 timeframe when starting the survey:

• Total revenue for the past 12 months
• Avery hourly rate (if applicable)
• Average retainer fee (if applicable)
• Average project fee (if applicable)
• Number of subcontractors used
• Total amount paid to subcontractors and/or employees

If you’re affiliated with WIC in anyway, the survey also asks a few questions to help us understand how WIC can help you with your business and how you rate the benefits of being part of WIC. We use this data to guide our decision making to ensure we’re doing the things that will provide the most support for our members and their businesses. (If you’re not affiliated with WIC, you’ll automatically skip these questions.)

We’ll present the results at the WIC members-only meeting on Thursday, June 18th. Nonmembers will receive the survey results after the survey closes, providing they submit an email address when completing the survey.

Please feel free to pass along this survey to any fellow consultant. The more people who complete the survey, the better results we all receive.

Thanks in advance for participating! We appreciate your time and value your input.

By: Avery Horzewski