Becoming a Local Business Consultant The Quick & Easy Way

In this article, we’re going to take a look at becoming a local business consultant. The best methods to become a local business consultant and some tips of maximizing your potential.

 

 

How Many Different Kinds Of Local Business Consultants Are There?

To start off, the main types of local business consultant activities center around one of two things:

1. Lead generation
2. Marketing(which I guess can be broken down into social media, offline… etc)

Is there such thing as business process consulting?

I took the strength finder test and I think the main 4 strengths it determined are very correct

1. Restorative – Find problems and fix them (SIX Sigma as an example);
2. Analytical – self-explanatory;
3. Deliberative – (lots of planning that pays off).

The last one was competitive which I think is true too (If I’m not winning I’m not having fun)

Does such a thing exist for consulting? I’d imagine I would have plenty of fun tearing apart the lame systems or lack thereof of many small businesses.

Making them more efficient and saving the manager time in the process.

To start off I’m going to do lead generation (many businesses’ websites are “ok”).

You can consult on just about anything. And I found that once I got started and proved myself to the client, I ended up helping in many different ways.

First, I would caution you against thinking of any business owner’s systems as “lame” or a total lack of systems. Here is why:

I used to think the same way. But I can promise you that if they have more than 5 employees, they are not total idiots. If they have been in business for more than 5 years, they are more intelligent than you may suspect.

And if they hire you, as you go along, you will discover things are in place that will surprise you. You will find they have knowledge and reasons that you did not suspect.

This discovery will completely expose you. All of your assumptions will be based on your previous thought that there are no systems.

When you are learning what is really happening in their business, and discover that they have more in place than you thought – it will be very obvious to everyone involved that you thought you knew it all and you were wrong.

It will be very obvious that you thought they were not good at running their business. At this point, you can kiss the trust goodbye.

Your contract with them is very likely to end soon after this enlightenment.

Just trust me on this. You will not be able to avoid this happening if your mindset includes the word “lame” when thinking about your client’s business.

I would encourage you to think of it another way. Not trying to bust your balls here, but:

• Have you ever built a business?
• Have you ever generated more than $500k in one year? Or a million?

I am assuming this is the size business you will start with.

If you have not done what they have, you need to approach with a good degree of humility – they have done something you have not. I

f they have been running their business for more than 5 years, they have made it through some very significant challenges that you have not experienced.

Be sure to have great respect and admiration for these people.

They are the backbone of any economy and have accomplished something most people only dream about, including you.

Yes, maybe you know something they do not – but they also know many things you do not.

So look at this as an opportunity to help someone who has already accomplished something great in their life and is very much worthy of your respect.

I have made many friends and landed plenty of referrals this way.

 

If I were you, I would pick a specific business niche that you already understand fairly well, and begin helping with issues facing them. Your first few clients, charge a fair price but keep it low.

After all – in reality, you have no idea what you are doing. You will be doing lots of testing and refining with their money. It is not as if you are implementing a proven system in their business.

Document everything very well and create a system from it – then target other businesses in the same niche.

For example, I had a manufacturing client. I knew very little about manufacturing when they hired me. I still do not. But, I was able to work closely with them for a price they could easily afford.

We examined every system. I created diagrams analyzing the workflow from sales to delivery.

Diagrams analyzing the client flow from first contact, to order placement, to invoicing and collection.

We examined their production workflow from raw materials to finished products. We identified points in the process that were slowing things down, causing a bad customer experience, or hurting profits. We then fixed those things.

We identified a few opportunities for products they could advertise for a decent return. I then created product mock-ups, ads for catalogs, tested a PPC campaign, worked with the sales team to contact past clients, etc…etc…etc. I was a general marketing consultant.

At the end of this process of streamlining processes and launching new offerings – I had a system.

I then contacted other manufacturing clients and charged them more money because I had a proven system that increased profitability and customer experience by a large degree.

I landed two clients directly from this manufacturer. We had worked so closely and had so many lunches that we know each other well to this day.

The owner’s mother died and I found out where the service was and sent a large bouquet and make a donation to their favorite charity in their mother’s name.

Take the attitude that these people are very valuable to you – because they are. There can be a much larger exchange of value than just them paying you money to do some work.

Over the course of the next 3 years – I worked with more small manufacturers in similar businesses.

Some were not even in my local area. I charged somewhere between $1500 – $3000 per month each. It took less and less time because I already had much of the system worked out.

By the 3rd or 4th client, I had added a lot more great content.

 

Now, this was me just doing the work myself for the most part. I did hire freelancers for the very boring or easy tasks like copying old customer files into the CRM I helped them set up.

Since you want to start in lead-gen, I would focus very heavily on businesses that are thirsty for leads. Any business involved in direct sales fits here.

Roofers, insurance, real estate (very, very crowded), brokers of all kinds, banks, cleaning companies – and many others.

Create your first lead-gen system, then begin selling the same system as a service to businesses in various geographic areas.

Since you have no experience in this, I would approach the first client very honestly. Do not act like you know everything or you will eventually be exposed.

Instead, be someone who wants to do a certain kind of work, has studied it for a while, and will figure out the things they have not had time to work on.

It is an easy sell. If you get appointments with 10 local businesses and make this offer to them, you will definitely land your first client.

Do not worry about what you are paid at first. Just get a client and kick-ass for them. You can raise your rates for future clients.

Most important of all: do not keep track of how much time you spend at first.

They are taking a gamble on you. Work your face off for them. Deliver in a major way. Be the best investment they ever made. Even if they are giving you $250/mo – screw it – work full-time to give them value.

Even if you do it on spec with some sort of pay based on results – do whatever you have to do to land those first clients. Then – your job is to not suck.

You have no other clients so really come through for them. You aren’t an employee, you are starting a business so forget hourly value.

Build equity in yourself, your knowledge, your results, and your reputation. You can raise your rates and more effectively structure your time later after you actually have a business.

You want to sell lead gen (inbound) but your top 2 ideas to generate business are cold calling and networking (outbound). Followed by direct mail which is quite a process and has a large expense.

If you know how to do lead gen, you need to eat your own dog food and do lead gen for yourself.

Watch the next 10 minutes of this video for great B2B advice.

You are planning to sell B2B. Accountants are B2B service providers. You should be doing the exact same things to generate your leads as you will be for them.

You should definitely be creating videos and advertisements and running them on FB targeting your audience. This is so easy to do.

If you create educational content that actually helps them you will have more client meetings than you can handle.

If you know how to generate leads for accountants – start teaching them how it works! Literally, give away your info. Just tell them how to do it themselves. They will not use it anyway.

Accountants don’t want to be marketers. If you can show them how it works, they will want to hire you.

Using FB lead ads and carousel ads is dead simple. You don’t even need a landing page. They click “Learn More” and FB actually sends you their info directly. Then they can watch the video or tutorial you made for them.

Do it now – come up with a very simple marketing plan to lead gen for accountants.

Make a simple short video telling exactly how the marketing plan works.

embed the video on a webpage somewhere.

Run FB ads with the first 30 seconds of the video. Use captions so the accountants can read along.

Set the campaign up as a Lead Ad. This means no forms for them to fill out.

They click to learn more and FB sends you their info. After they click to learn more they go to the video.

Target small business owners and accountants with this ad. “Accountants – Watch how Facebook can bring you a TON of new clients” or something similar. I am no copywriter. Honestly, these captioned video ads are so powerful the headline above is good enough.

This will get you clients once you get it figured out and get your target audiences built.

The cool thing about video ads is FB creates a custom audience including everyone who watched it.

So even if they don’t click the learn more button and send you their info – they have just told you that they are an accountant by watching the video! Amazing power here.

Your future campaigns – you target that custom audience with more and more helpful info. They will see you as a guru. They will want to hire you before you even know their name.

Most important, don’t hide behind the internet. Let them see you. Tell your real name. Talk to them as if you were meeting in person. Most of your job will be done before you even meet.

 

Tips For Becoming a Local Business Consultant

If you are interested in making money online, or even just making money in general, becoming a Local Business Consultant can be a great way to make some extra cash.

You can make money while having fun and meeting new people. Meetings with large groups of people that all love your product can generate lots of money.

Here is how it works.

First of all, creating websites and online businesses takes lots of work.

Freelancing is a great way to start working on online coaching services locally. In other words, you will work for one company and work with them as an affiliate.

However, this is a great way to start building up a portfolio of affiliate marketing sites to promote.

Later, when you have more time, you can branch out and create more companies.

Another great way to make money with this is to get paid by the customer.

For example, if you know someone that wants to learn Spanish, offer to teach them free Spanish lessons. Then when they need more help, offer to help them out with other things in their life.

So, you can become an affiliate marketing side business coach in many different ways.

What makes it different from other freelance jobs is that you can take as many as you like. This is great because it does not require you to quit your job.

It only requires you to be available for some free time and a few hours of freelance work.

For most people, this is all they need to be able to make money as a freelancer.

In fact, you can choose to work as much or as little as you want, which means you can make money even if you are working at home.

One of the best ways to make money from a freelancing site is to become an affiliate.

If you love to sell products, this is a great side business to get into.

With most affiliate programs, you can choose to be a free agent. This means you will not have to pay anything upfront.

However, when you do choose to sign up as an affiliate, make sure you go through the program carefully so you won’t end up as a scam victim.

Another way to combine freelance and a side business is to start a tour business.

If you love to take people to exciting places, this could be a great side business for you. Again, you can work as a free agent or sign up with a company as an affiliate.

Many tour companies allow affiliates to run their own advertising and marketing.

In the past, tour buses were usually owned by large tour companies, but now many small tour businesses are looking for help to fill their vans with extra staff.

One final way to combine freelance work and a side business is to become a virtual assistant.

As a virtual assistant, you will be able to work in your own home and get paid through the Internet.

However, if you want to get paid more, this will require a more advanced degree, typically one that is related to web design.

If you are still working a full-time job, it may not be possible to get a web design degree, so you may want to consider other options first.

When you are looking for something that is rewarding and pays, the Internet can be a great place to look.

In summary, becoming a local business consultant does not have to take a lot of time and effort. If you are self-motivated and you like helping other people solve problems, this can be an excellent part-time job for you.

You can work your own hours, choose your own schedules, and choose whether you would like to work for someone else or work on your own.

In conclusion, there are many jobs available for you to become a local business consultant. You just need to take the time to do some research and find the perfect job opportunity that fits your needs.

What Is A Small Business Consultant?

Being a small business consultant is more than just being an expert in your field. It takes both knowledge and experience to be able to successfully operate as one.

A small business consultant has the ability to offer advice, guidance, and feedback on key areas for success such as the best course of action when faced with certain circumstances, how to attract customers or find new ones, and what steps are needed for growth.

A small business consultant is an individual who provides advice and consultation to help businesses succeed.

They are often sought out by people looking for professional guidance in the area of entrepreneurship.

A small business consultant is someone who provides advice to help a company, nonprofit organization, or entrepreneur make decisions and take action.

Small business consultants are often called in to advise on:

• strategic direction,
• organizational management (HR),
• marketing strategy,
• financial planning and analysis,
• operations management (supply chain management),
• technology-related issues (IT), or
• other operational matters.

The term “consultant” comes from the Latin word consultare meaning “to consider.”

Consulting as an industry has been around for centuries; however, it wasn’t until the late 1800s that consulting began to be formalized with people providing services based on their expertise in a particular subject matter.

Who’s A Business Consultant Anyway?

Business consultants are often used by organizations who find themselves in a tough spot.

Sometimes, they’re hired to help make the organization run more efficiently and reduce costs. Other times, they’re brought on board to take over an operation that’s been struggling.

Business consultants are everywhere. You see them on TV and read about them in newspapers or magazines.

They have won the prestigious Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses competition, been featured in Forbes Magazine’s list of “The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” and even appeared on Shark Tank.

In a nutshell, business consultants are the people you call when you’re having trouble and need some advice.

Sometimes it’s about how to grow your company or how to get more clients, but sometimes it’s just about knowing if this is actually what I want to be doing, right now.

Out of all the professions out there — from accountants and lawyers to CEOs and politicians — who would have guessed that business consultant would rank as one of the top jobs?

But if you think about it for a second, the job description makes perfect sense: they help companies figure out their problems so they can fix them on their own without needing outside help.

It’s really not much different than being an accountant or lawyer.

A business consultant works with businesses to improve their performance.

They do this by helping the company evaluate its current methods, and they may also recommend changes in strategy.

A consultant can be an outsider or someone from inside of the company.

Business consultants are often paid per hour, though some will take on projects for a flat fee or offer a retainer agreement with regular billing schedules.

Business consultants work in areas such as management consulting, strategic planning, operations consulting, IT consulting, marketing and sales consulting, and more! What does that mean?

It means that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to becoming a successful business consultant — you’ll need to find what you’re good at doing!

What Does A Business Consultant For Small Businesses Do?

After working with hundreds of different types of companies, I’ve learned how to identify the problems plaguing a company’s growth so we can work together to find solutions.

In most cases, these issues stem from one or more areas:

• finance management,
• marketing strategy development,
• sales & customer service strategies,
• operational processes improvement (i.e., reducing expenses),
• strategic planning/ forecasting tools, and
• organizational alignment (aligning people around goals).

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy.

They provide jobs, support local communities, and contribute to the economic vitality in their region.

When these companies need help with a particular aspect of their business, they may reach out to a consulting firm for assistance.

Consulting firms employ professionals from all different backgrounds including accountants, attorneys, management consultants, and more.

What Does It Take To Become A Small Business Consultant?

The idea of becoming a small business consultant may seem like an unachievable goal.

This is not the case!

As with any profession, there are certain skills and qualifications that you need in order to be successful.

One way to become a qualified professional for this position is by obtaining your MBA degree from one of these top 10 colleges for management degrees.

It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to become a successful small business consultant.

The first step is understanding what it means to be an entrepreneur, and how you can help entrepreneurs succeed in their endeavors.

You can start by reading books on entrepreneurship, or taking courses on the subject through your local community college or university.

Once you have gained some knowledge and experience as an aspiring entrepreneur, find others who are starting out so that you can offer them guidance along the way.

A small business consultant is someone who is experienced in various areas of the business world and can provide advice and guidance to other entrepreneurs, as well as their clients.

It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to become a successful consultant, but it’s also very rewarding!

How To Start A Small Business Consulting Firm

Starting a small business consulting firm is not an easy task.

There are so many things that you need to consider before even opening your doors, such as what type of services you will offer and who will be your target market.

You also have to decide whether or not it’s the right time for you to start this new venture.

The most important thing, however, is figuring out how much money you’ll need in order to get started on the right foot and function effectively.

There are many different ways to go about this, and the steps are not easy – but with time, patience, and hard work you can be successful!

The first step is deciding what type of consulting services your company will provide.

This could range from IT help desk support to financial advising or any other service that would benefit a small business owner.

The next thing you should do is come up with a name for your business that reflects the type of consultant services you offer, so if it’s financial advising then “Finance Consulting” might work best as an example.

A small business consulting firm is a company that provides advice on how to run a business.

There are many different types of consulting firms, and they can provide services in a variety of areas, such as marketing, finance, HR, and operations.

The best way to start your own consultancy is by doing some research first into the type of service you would like to offer and then finding clients who need what you have to offer.

So you want to start your own small business consulting firm? You don’t need a big startup budget, just some experience, and a little know-how.

Here are 5 steps to help you get started:

1. Establish an online presence by creating a website for your company;

2. Build relationships with other consultants in the industry by joining associations or participating in seminars;

3. Find clients through networking events and referrals from current clients;

4. Create content that educates potential customers about the services offered by your consulting firm;

5. Be sure to have proper insurance coverage for both yourself and any employees.

The Coach-Consultant Concept

The coach-consultant concept is an innovative idea that has been around for a while.

The word “coach” in this case, does not mean someone who teaches you how to play sports or helps you lose weight; rather it means someone who assists and guides their clients during difficult times.

This type of person can be found among personal coaches and career consultants, as well as on TV shows such as Dr. Phil and Oprah’s Lifeclass where they guide people through crises in their lives.

Many of us have been in a situation where we need to ask for help. Sometimes it’s an emotional thing, and sometimes it’s a problem that seems too big for us to handle on our own.

It can be hard at times but there is always someone willing and able to help you find your way out of the tough spot you’re in.

The Coach-consultant concept is not new, but like most things in life, it has evolved with the modern age. Nowadays people are more open-minded about self-development as well as seeking outside assistance when they feel stuck or lost in their lives.

A coach-consultant relationship is one where both parties will work together towards achieving mutually agreed upon goals by consulting each other

A coach-consultant is someone who has a direct, personal relationship with the client.

A coach-consultant acts as a consultant to help clients make decisions and solve problems.

They have an in-depth understanding of their specific field or niche and can provide insights on how best to move forward from within that context.

The Complete Guide To Starting A Consulting Business

There are many reasons why people start their own consulting businesses.

A few of these reasons include a desire for more freedom, to work on projects that interest them, and the opportunity to make significantly more money than they would in a traditional job.

Starting your own consulting business is not as easy as it seems though. It takes planning and hard work to turn your idea into an actual company with clients and employees.

The start of a consulting business can be intimidating. There are so many steps to take and the process can feel overwhelming.

But don’t worry! The Complete Guide To Starting A Consulting Business will take you through the entire process, from your first idea for a company to getting clients, all in an easy-to-read format.

Starting a consulting business sounds like it would be an easy thing to do, but there are some things you need to know before you take the leap.

Starting your own consulting business is a great way to take charge of your career and build the life you’ve always wanted.

There are so many benefits that come with starting out as an entrepreneur, including greater control over your work-life balance, being able to choose the clients you want to work with, and not having to worry about things like office politics or a bad boss.

Project Management Consulting

Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, and managing a project from start to finish.

It includes identifying what needs to be done, breaking it down into manageable tasks, assigning timeframes for each task, and then checking their completion.

Project management is an ever-evolving field that has grown from its humble beginnings to become a complex and necessary function of modern business.

It’s important for companies to invest in project management consulting, as this will help them get the most out of their projects.

Project Management Consulting is the process of providing guidance and consulting for people who are experiencing difficulty with their projects.

The project management consultant can help identify what caused the problem, how to fix it, and even offer advice on how to avoid future problems in a person’s work.

Leaving the management of a project to an inexperienced person can lead to disastrous results.

In order to avoid this, it is vital that your organization has someone who will act as a consultant for managing projects and ensuring everything goes smoothly.

How To Write A Consulting Proposal

A consulting proposal is a document that outlines the scope of work, timeline, and budget for a consulting project.

Typically it does not include any confidential information about the company or customer who will be hiring you to do the work.

It also doesn’t contain any pricing information, which is usually negotiated separately with your client.

The purpose of this document is to get potential clients interested in your services by explaining how you can help them solve their problem(s) and meet their goals.

If they like what they see, then they’ll contact you again to discuss further details on rates and timelines before signing an agreement with you.

Do you have a business idea that’s just not taking off?

Are you struggling to get clients because of the lack of industry experience?

Does your company need some fresh new ideas in order to stay competitive and innovative?

If so, then it might be time for you to hire a consultant.

They also offer valuable insight into what companies should be focusing on when developing marketing strategies.

Hiring consultants is an investment that will pay dividends by increasing profitability and reducing risk for both small businesses and large corporations alike.

First, you should know where the work will take place. If the work will be done remotely, then you’ll want to include things like remote access instructions and any special equipment that may be needed.

What are some other things I should do when writing a consulting proposal?

– You’ll want to ask for more information about the scope of services or products they’re looking for.

– When presenting your services/products in detail, make sure that you highlight any industry experience or certifications that show why they should choose YOU over someone else.

– Be aware of different payment structures (fixed pricing vs hourly rates).

Develop Important Consulting Skills

The professional world is constantly evolving, so it’s important for consultants to stay up-to-date with the newest trends in their industry.

Every day, we interact with people. Whether it’s in person, over the phone, or on social media.

We are constantly communicating and collaborating with one another but how many of us have taken the time to develop our consulting skills?

As an aspiring consultant, you will need to develop a variety of skills that are necessary for success in the field. These include:

• Creating presentations and reports;
• Coaching others on best practices;
• Effectively listening to clients and understanding their needs;
• Negotiating with other stakeholders.