Why consider consulting?
Different types of consulting practices
Why a company would use a consultant
Different types of consulting engagements
Challenges and pitfalls (on a personal basis)
Skills, credentials & mindset required
Defining your scope of service offerings & target client groups
Planning and building your brand, image
Creating a pipeline of prospects
Determining client needs and decision making process
Planning sales processes
Converting prospects into clients; closing
Marketing Tools (to fill the funnel)
Stages of consulting engagements: Understanding client needs
Adding value to the enterprise / Different types of engagements
Defining objective, scope, deliverables, timeframe
Scope: additional resources/consultants?
Understanding client politics
Making an effective proposal / Pricing
Managing projects effectively
Situations with ethical implications
Managing expectations, avoiding scope creep
Building post-project systems for on-going success
Reflection and learning from engagements
Types of business structures; Legal implications
Partners? Associates? Staff?
Tax and insurance considerations
Periodic reports, recurring tasks, agreements
Contracts
Certifications