The decision to become a consultant takes thought and planning – along with guts and the ability to take risks. Do you spend time at work imagining how great your life would be if you could finally make the commitment to make your dreams a reality? To find out if consulting is for you, take a week off to disengage from your job. This is not the time for a vacation to the beach. The life of a consultant can be lonely, and a week off to complete the following five-day challenge will give you a glimpse of what it’s like to be on your own. Consulting takes a certain mindset as well as skills. Making the decision to begin a new consulting career can take as few as five days if you take the following steps:
1. Day One – Day one is about simulating the solitude consultants often experience working alone in a home office, with its perks and distractions. Your task is to get through the day and be aware of how you feel in this setting. Ask yourself, “What would I have to be doing, achieving, producing, or creating to leave the security of my job? What do I have to offer prospective clients?” How would you answer the question, “What kind of consulting do you do?” Write down the answer and then five reasons why doing it is more important to you than your present job.
2. Day Two – Day Two builds on the answer to Day One’s questions. What is your business name? Is the URL available? Will prospective clients “get it?” Next, make a list of your products or services and their potential to generate revenue. Rearrange the list with the highest potential first. Is that really your passion? Are your services/products in demand? What are your qualifications, and will you be seen as an “expert?” Write your mission statement and a list of core values.
3. Day Three -- A day to energize yourself with creativity. What’s your brand? What will your logo look like, and tagline? Everyone recognizes Nike’s “Just Do It,” or Coke’s “It’s the Real Thing.” Design your business card and website concept. What will make you unique? What would your company’s 30-second Super Bowl commercial look like? Share your ideas and get some reactions from friends or relatives. Are you energized by the results?
4 Day Four -- Time for a reality check. What’s your financial situation? What is the cost for launch and six months of living expenses compared to your ability to raise capital? Do a S-W-O-T Analysis – what are the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats for your business? How can you maximize the strengths and opportunities, and minimize or eliminate weaknesses and threats? How fast could the money start rolling in? If you want to start a web design business, but have no earthly idea how to even log onto a website, you’ve got a fatal weakness and may want to reconsider.
5. Day Five -- If everything is still looking positive, make a list of prospective clients for each product/service you listed on Day Two. Which ones do you already know that would be receptive to a call? Decide on your market area. Look over the work you’ve done the past four days, and set some goals with specific action plans to get started. Have some business cards printed on good quality stock. Call one of your most trusted friends or mentor and set up a lunch date and pitch your idea to him. Really listen to the feedback, make adjustments if necessary.
If you make it through Day Five, you can become a consultant the next Monday by making a few introductory calls to your top prospects. Self confidence, perseverance and hard work will do the rest.
By Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, MJNH Consulting
Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a freelance writer, blogger, and consultant. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in "Training" magazine, "Training & Development" magazine, "Supervision," "Pulse" and "The Savannah Morning News." You can read her blogs at www.skirt.com/savannahchick, www.workingsmartworks.blogspot.com/ and on the web at www.mjnhconsulting.com.
1. Day One – Day one is about simulating the solitude consultants often experience working alone in a home office, with its perks and distractions. Your task is to get through the day and be aware of how you feel in this setting. Ask yourself, “What would I have to be doing, achieving, producing, or creating to leave the security of my job? What do I have to offer prospective clients?” How would you answer the question, “What kind of consulting do you do?” Write down the answer and then five reasons why doing it is more important to you than your present job.
2. Day Two – Day Two builds on the answer to Day One’s questions. What is your business name? Is the URL available? Will prospective clients “get it?” Next, make a list of your products or services and their potential to generate revenue. Rearrange the list with the highest potential first. Is that really your passion? Are your services/products in demand? What are your qualifications, and will you be seen as an “expert?” Write your mission statement and a list of core values.
3. Day Three -- A day to energize yourself with creativity. What’s your brand? What will your logo look like, and tagline? Everyone recognizes Nike’s “Just Do It,” or Coke’s “It’s the Real Thing.” Design your business card and website concept. What will make you unique? What would your company’s 30-second Super Bowl commercial look like? Share your ideas and get some reactions from friends or relatives. Are you energized by the results?
4 Day Four -- Time for a reality check. What’s your financial situation? What is the cost for launch and six months of living expenses compared to your ability to raise capital? Do a S-W-O-T Analysis – what are the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats for your business? How can you maximize the strengths and opportunities, and minimize or eliminate weaknesses and threats? How fast could the money start rolling in? If you want to start a web design business, but have no earthly idea how to even log onto a website, you’ve got a fatal weakness and may want to reconsider.
5. Day Five -- If everything is still looking positive, make a list of prospective clients for each product/service you listed on Day Two. Which ones do you already know that would be receptive to a call? Decide on your market area. Look over the work you’ve done the past four days, and set some goals with specific action plans to get started. Have some business cards printed on good quality stock. Call one of your most trusted friends or mentor and set up a lunch date and pitch your idea to him. Really listen to the feedback, make adjustments if necessary.
If you make it through Day Five, you can become a consultant the next Monday by making a few introductory calls to your top prospects. Self confidence, perseverance and hard work will do the rest.
By Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, MJNH Consulting
Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a freelance writer, blogger, and consultant. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in "Training" magazine, "Training & Development" magazine, "Supervision," "Pulse" and "The Savannah Morning News." You can read her blogs at www.skirt.com/savannahchick, www.workingsmartworks.blogspot.com/ and on the web at www.mjnhconsulting.com.
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