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So
You Want To Be A Consultant? |
by:
Matt
Bacak |
Let's
say you have more than 20 years experience
in your chosen field. For the sake of this
article, let's say you have been in the
nonprofit field for 25 years and are at
the very top of your game. And let's say
you're a bit bored with the hum-drum day-to-day
routine of being an executive director.
You love nonprofit sector, but you need
more of a challenge and you yearn to help
people grow and achieve success in their
nonprofit careers. Plus, you'd like to earn
a little bit more money and are a bit tired
of the board of directors overseeing everything
you do.
Perhaps it's time to go into business for
yourself. Perhaps it's time to become a
consultant, a coach, a speaker and trainer.
The thought is exciting, albeit a little
frightening. You're current salary is certainly
respectable for a person with your skills
and experience, and the health insurance
and retirement plan are comforting benefits
that you don't want to relinquish. But none
of these factors have been able to sufficiently
scratch that darned itch that keeps telling
you it's time to start your own nonprofit
consulting business.
Going into business for yourself as a consultant,
coach, or speaker (or all of the above)
requires determination, a little self-sacrifice
(in the beginning), and a lot of experience.
People hire consultants because they need
the expertise of someone who has been there
and done that.hundreds of times. There are
consultants in literally every career field,
and once they become accustomed to the process
of generating clientele, they can make over
double what they were earning as employees.
In fact, recent statistics show that successful
and established consultants can make anywhere
from $1,200 to $5,000 per day.
There is power and prestige in consulting
that can rarely be found in management positions,
even executive positions. The power comes
from calling the shots as a business owner
and making sure people know they need you;
the prestige comes from being the very best
in your field.and making sure people know
it.
But there's a not so subtle difference in
owning your own business and owning your
own consulting firm. Lots of people own
businesses. My fiancé owns a deli, my father
owns a small publishing business, and my
mother owns a bakery. But owning your own
consulting firm lets people know that you're
the crème de la crème in your field - and
if they want to rise to the top like you
have, they'll hire you to help them.
Consulting firms, like the one you will
soon own, can be anything from a one man
show to a large agency boasting senior and
junior associates. Most consultants make
their day to day income from coaching and
mentoring individuals in the field - charging
anywhere from $300 (for junior level staffers)
to $500 (for senior executives) per hour.
They also assist clients with organizational
development, strategic and financial planning,
and a host of other services including workshop
facilitation and board and staff retreats.
And if they like to speak in front of audiences,
many consultants make thousands of dollars
simply talking to a crowd for a few hours
about their experiences and knowledge.
While it's not as easy as 1-2-3 to quite
your job and start making $5,000 a day as
a consultant, it's certainly not as difficult
as it looks - especially if you're very
very good at what you do and have expertise
that few can match. Start off as a moonlighter,
which is the term used when someone has
a "day job" but works on their own business
in the evenings. Make a simple business
card for yourself and during your lunch
hour at work, go to chamber of commerce
or rotary meetings where you can network
and talk to people about your new consulting
practice.
It's not too difficult to pick up a small
client or two this way, and once you do
a good job for them and build confidence
in yourself you'll begin to branch out and
up. People will hear about you, your phone
will start ringing, those simple business
cards you handed out at the rotary meetings
will change hands and generate bigger clients,
and you'll begin to realize that maybe you
really can quit that hum-drum job and make
it big on your very own.
About
the Author: Matt Bacak became "#1
Best Selling Author" in just a few short
hours. Recent Entrepreneur Magazine's
e-Biz radio show host is turning Authors,
Speakers, and Experts into Overnight Success
Stories. Discover The Secrets http://promotingtips.com
Source: www.isnare.com |
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