The New Business of Consulting: The Basics and Beyond - Hardcover

Biech, Elaine

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1119556902 ISBN 13: 9781119556909

Publisher: Wiley, 2019

Synopsis

Everything you ever wanted to know about consulting—a practical roadmap for aspiring entrepreneurs

Seismic changes occurring in the workforce are leading to more and more people entering the world of contract, freelance, and contingency work. Rapid changes in demographics and advances in technology have led companies and talent to engage in profoundly new ways and consulting is one of the keys to success.

The New Business of Consulting is authentic and practical, and shares the knowledge and skills required to start and grow a successful consulting business. From how to make a smooth career transition, to how to determine a consulting fee, to how consultants inadvertently create a bad reputation, it covers everything you need to know to thrive and flourish in this competitive field.

• Covers contemporary topics, such as how to achieve success in the gig economy
• Discloses a reliable technique to land the clients you want
• Presents options to help you balance your life and your business
• Prepares you for naming your business, managing critical financial issues, and building a client relationship
• Shows you how to take your income and impact beyond working as a solopreneur

The crucial start-up days of a consulting business may be frenetic and fraught with questions. This new edition provides sanity and answers all the questions. It includes practical tools, templates, and checklists that you can download and implement immediately.

About this title

From the Inside Flap

The world of work has undergone immense changes over the past decades. The digital economy, new technologies, and increased global competition have given rise to new business realities. Predictions that more than half of the U.S. workforce will have non-traditional jobs in the next few years are common. More and more people are looking for new ways to earn their living. Freelancers, contractors, free agents, gig workers, on-demand labor, and many more terms are all basically describing the same business—consulting. A lucrative $250 billion industry, consulting is growing at a phenomenal pace. Millions have taken the initiative to create their own livelihood and do what they want, when they want, and how they want. The timing couldn't be better.

Consultants are more respected and in higher demand than ever before. Companies actively seek people with the expertise they need for any number of projects. Technology has empowered consultants to work from anywhere, to connect with clients, close a big deal, or build a brand from their home offices. We are all consultants to varying degrees, experts in something. The New Business of Consulting: The Basics and Beyond helps you transform your personal expertise into professional consulting success, sharing the practical know-how and entrepreneurial skills necessary to thrive in this dynamic field.

Author Elaine Biech shares the knowledge gathered over her 35 years of experience as a management consultant, trainer, and designer to guide new and aspiring consultants through every crucial stage of their business. Engagingly written chapters, beginning with relatable real-life stories from the world of consulting, present information in the same order that you will most likely need as you move into a consulting role. Practical tips and insights help to spark ideas for your specific needs, point to resources where you can search for more ideas, and give you a preview of the day-to-day life of a professional consultant. The section, "For the Consummate Consultant," offers actions that go beyond the content in the chapter—beyond the basics. A multitude of checklists, assessments, templates, financial forms, and online tools prepare you to project cash flow, plan marketing campaigns, track your time, measure your business aptitude, and much more.

Focusing primarily on the business side of consulting, The New Business of Consulting provides everything you need to start and manage a successful consulting business, including how to develop a business plan, how to market your business, how to charge for your services, how to grow the business, and how to prosper in this rewarding profession.

From the Back Cover

PRAISE FOR THE NEW BUSINESS OF CONSULTING

"Practical, compassionate, and a good alternative to an MBA."
—Peter Block, author of Flawless Consulting

"If you want to start a business—and stay in business—The New Business of Consulting is an essential read."
—Daniel H. Pink, author of When, Drive, and Free Agent Nation

"Is it time to start your own consulting business? Don't start without first reading Elaine Biech's??The New Business of Consulting.??The book, paired with her 35 years as a successful consultant, forms a perfect guide for your success."
—Marshall Goldsmith, #1??New York Times??bestselling author of??Triggers, Mojo, and What Got You Here Won't Get You There

Are you thinking about starting your own consulting business? More and more people are entering the world of contract, freelance, and contingency work. The days of lifetime employment, regular salary increases, generous benefits, and full pensions upon retirement are largely a thing of the past. The dream of being your own boss and charting your own path is more attainable than ever for those willing to pursue their passion and to do the work they love.

The New Business of Consulting shares the skills and knowledge required to start and grow a successful and profitable consulting business. The specifics of your consulting are entirely up to you—if you have expertise that is in demand, it is relatively inexpensive and easy to break into consulting. Wherever your expertise lies, entrepreneurial skills are essential to your success.

The initial days of your new endeavor may be hectic and riddled with questions. Elaine Biech provides the answers from creating your business plan and naming your business, to managing critical financial issues, as well as building client relationships and expanding your business. This book covers everything you need to know to thrive in this competitive field.

Work with the people you choose, increase your sense of meaning and fulfillment in your professional life, control your time and commitments, and take charge of your own future.

Edition details

• Publisher: Wiley
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1119556902
• ISBN 13: 9781119556909
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 368