How to Start a Consulting Business From Scratch
Step By Step Guide
How I Became a Marketing Consultant in Just 3 Months
In case you wonder if you have what it takes to be a consultant, without knowing you, I would say you may have it in you, but if you have doubt, then maybe it is time to do some self-evaluation and realization and see if you really have it in you. Read on and I will tell you what you need to find with-in yourself to know if you can do this job or not.
I co-authored this book with Jim because I was motivated and inspired by him; he showed me that everyone has something in them that can help others. The very first day we met, he told me, "As long as you know little more than the next guy, you are an Expert on that topic." Later he told me it was Tim Ferris who said that originally. I never thought I had any skills to be a consultant, but he did convince me otherwise and took me under his wing taught me everything I know, and here I am.
Before you reads the book, have an open mind, do not self-doubt yourself in advance, remember the very first thing you need in this field is CONFIDENCE then you need some expertise on the subject. But Confidence is what can make or break you.
Looking back at my own life, I never thought I could be a marketing consultant; I don't have the education nor do I have the skills for it. But he taught me it is not the education that makes you a great consultant if that were the case then every Ph.D. in marketing would take our job. It is the mix of confidence, knowledge, willing to learn and adopt are what makes someone a great and successful consultant.
Here is the one more example, my wife has been in the makeup business for many years. She works for a national brand makeup company part time. I knew she knows about women's makeup more than average women do, so I told her to become a beauty consultant. Her reply was, she was happy in what she is doing, and she didn't think she had the knowledge or the 'know how' to be a consultant. I did some legwork on her behalf and landed her the very first $3,500 consulting job for a local pageant show. She was scared but excited at the same time. After finishing her first gig, she quit her job, and now she has her successful beauty consulting business where is she made little over $87,000 last year, but she only worked 7 months out of the year.
Now I have to share this last one before we start, my nephew didn't finish college, despite all the effort and money my brother spent trying to put him through college. He took a job at one of the office supply places making photocopies. One thing I knew about him is that he knew how to use Facebook and Twitter and all those social media, when I was getting started I called him to help me set up my own Facebook and other social media pages. I am sure most of you know someone who is good at that sort of things.
In one of my consulting job, one day they asked me if I could recommend someone for social media consulting as they needed some help with their social media presence. Without thinking I recommended my nephew, and he got the job! Long story short, he is on his 3rd contract, and he too left his office supply job.
Okay, hope I was able to make a point that you do not need a Ph.D. or a master's degree to be a successful consultant. But please read through this book's material then take a piece of paper and write down what you think you are good at, what are your strength, what are your weaknesses. Then pick the one you think you are most comfortable with and start working towards it. It will not happen overnight, but if you can follow the marketing tips and market yourself right, you should see some degree of success in about 6 months.