Going Solo Going Big

Category: Start

  • Why Hourly Rates?

    Many veteran consultants aim to secure retainers with their clients—and that is a valid goal. Or they’ve heard that “project fees” (charging a flat rate for projects) are the way to go. Retainers provide consistent income over time, whereas hourly rates clearly depend upon the number of hours you work. Similarly, charging project fees is…

  • Don’t Make This HUGE Mistake When Starting Your Consulting Business!

    The single biggest mistake that people make in starting their consulting business is thinking they’re ready just because they have strong technical skills or content knowledge. They think that their years of experience in their field, their skills in some technical area, or their content knowledge is enough to start a successful consulting business. Oh,…

  • Five Myths About Introverts and Extroverts

    This post is a companion to our “Success Secrets for the Introverted Consultant” article. Adam Grant, a professor at the Wharton Business School has studied some popular notions and misconceptions about introverts and compared them with what the research literature says. And he identified five myths that don’t hold up to the scrutiny of research.

  • Success Secrets for the Introverted Consultant

    Have you considered starting a consulting practice but wondered whether an introvert is cut out for this career? Who’s really an introvert, and can we build successful businesses? Let’s find out.

  • Are You Confident about Your Confidence?

    Here are five ways you can boost your confidence as a consultant. As you start a business, it can be tempting to set up shop, secure a client or two, then expect that things will continue to pop. I was guilty of this myself at times. I thought that my busy first year would translate…

  • How’s Your Hustle?

    When you first thought that you might consult, did you assume that your years of experience in the trenches would propel your new career path forward? Most of us learn quickly that this field is filled with talented people. Yet the overarching trait that keeps consulting businesses at full capacity isn’t talent—it’s hustle. You likely…

  • Attorneys and Accountants: Your Quest for the Best

    One of the biggest investments you will make as a new consultant is in those who will provide professional services to you. At a minimum, you will likely consider engaging an attorney and an accountant. Given their influence on your early business decisions, you will want to do all you can to ensure that you…

  • Set Your Own Speed Limit

    One of the most fabulous things about this career path is that you can set and reset each parameter depending on your life circumstances and goals at a given time.

  • You Can Help Turn Consulting Taboo into Trendy

    Consulting gets a bad rap. Sometimes you can feel the hidden eye rolls when you tell new acquaintances what you do for a living. Professional associations largely ignore us. There are heaps of consulting jokes (some of which are admittedly funny).

  • What’s Next for Your Consulting?

    If you have called yourself a consultant for more than, say, five minutes, you have likely contemplated some version of the following: Hallelujah, I am finally my own boss! Now, how exactly will I get through this complex journey on my own? A journey it is. It doesn’t have to be as solitary as it…