how to start consulting business

"John A. Weeks III" wrote:
> "giraldo21" wrote:
>> hi john thank for your advice but i think that start up this business I
>> need training what you say about it.
>
> There is no better way to learn than by doing it.

And no better way to go broke than to go into a business you don't know
anything about.

George
 >> Stay informed about: how to start consulting business 

"giraldo21" wrote in message

>
> hi everybody I need information about how to start an small consulting
> business I need some free guide to learn about this topic anyone have
> one
>
> greetings
>
>

Geraldo,

Starting a consulting business is not much different from starting any other
business. You need to know (or rapidly learn about):
Planning - plan the work, work the plan
Marketing - define & design the service, define & learn about the prospects,
persuade the prospects to want what you offer
Sales - close the deal, get the contract signed
Law - contracts, liability, employment
Taxes - those you (may) have to collect, and those you (definitely) have to
pay
Cash flow - keeping the doors open
Collections - getting what you earned (see cash flow)
Networking - see marketing & sales
Cash management - unless you're extremely lucky or a very careful planner,
you'll be living on savings for at least a year, so you learn to be careful.
and a few hundred other things.

PLUS...
as a consultant, you have only your time and expertise to sell, so:
Time management - tracking & reporting your time for billing &
self-management
Customer service - you're all you've got - be the best
Customer service (2) - bury your impatience & temper in your back yard
Continuing education - if you're selling expertise, you have to stay current
& figure out how to get paid for the time you spend in class, or in a book.
and a few hundred other things.

You can buy books on all the above topics. You can talk with experts on all
the above topics. You can watch how your current employers handle all the
above topics. You can plan on how you will handle all the above topics.

Good luck.

George King
G.E. King Marketing
 >> Stay informed about: how to start consulting business 

I am a computer technician\support person. I am Microsoft and A+ Certified. I
used to work as a
network analyst at one of the largest internet consulting firms in the world
until it went chapter
7 with all of the other technology companies in 2001. Since them, I have my own
computer repair
business that I run in an already existing TV\Electronics repair shop. I do a
lot of on-site work
for doctors, lawyers, insurance agents,housewives,etc). I want to get out of
this repair business
(spyware removal, upgrades, etc) and get into what I know best.

My true love, and main expertise, is computer based video, audio and dvd
production. I know exactly
what one needs to be able to do the above. It is a perfect business for me
because it combines my
creative production side with my nerdy computer side. They go together.

I would like to be a consultant for Computer Media Production. As a consultant,
would that mean that
people would hire me to tell them what they need to accomplish what they want
to do? I am unclear on
this. In other words, Joe Blow wants to edit his home movies and create DVDs of
them. Well, there is
no real computer you can buy off the shelf that would let you do that. I know
that video production
involves having a higher end PC with a dedicated hard drive for capture, which
software to use,
which capture card to use in order to encode the analog video to digital, etc.
Then, the need the
DVD recorder, which format DVD, dual layer or not, how to create menus and
chapter points, etc.

Here's my problem understanding all of this consulting stuff. I would never pay
anyone to show me
how to do that. I would do what I did, which was do a ton of research on the
internet and buy the
stuff I needed and learn it hands on. Wouldnt everyone do that? Or are some
people unable or
unwilling to do that?

So, my ideal "consulting" job would be to advertise, have someone pay me to
tell them what they need
and be done with it. But, does it have to go further and I have to purchase the
computer\hardware\software for them? You see, I do not want to support the
hardware and software. I
want to tell them what they need and they can buy it. Or, am I supposed to get
the stuff, configure
it all for them, show them how to use it, etc? If so, I do not want them
calling me with their
software problems because they got a virus etc. They can call any other
computer guy for that or
even go to the Geek Squad for all I care. I do not mean to sound like I dont
care about them. I am
trying to say that I do not want to deal with the typical minute problems that
users Are
consultants "married" to their clients once they deal with them?

Also, suppose I give a quick free consultation to a new client. How do I know
they are not going to
run off with my info and leave me in the dust?

Again, if I want to charge people for my knowledge to get them up and running
and productive, can my
job end at that point with them until they need me again for another project in
the future? Please
excuse my ignorance about what a consultant does clear cut.

Tony
 >> Stay informed about: how to start consulting business 

If you want a clean end after the advice, you need to have a contract that
details exactly that--and a "3rd-party support team" ready to "take the ball
and run with it", so to speak...

Otherwise, you're liable to be handed your hindquarters...

"Tony" wrote in message

>
> I am a computer technician\support person. I am Microsoft and A+
> Certified. I
> used to work as a
> network analyst at one of the largest internet consulting firms in the
> world
> until it went chapter
> 7 with all of the other technology companies in 2001. Since them, I have
> my own
> computer repair
> business that I run in an already existing TV\Electronics repair shop. I
> do a
> lot of on-site work
> for doctors, lawyers, insurance agents,housewives,etc). I want to get out
> of
> this repair business
> (spyware removal, upgrades, etc) and get into what I know best.
>
> My true love, and main expertise, is computer based video, audio and dvd
> production. I know exactly
> what one needs to be able to do the above. It is a perfect business for me
> because it combines my
> creative production side with my nerdy computer side. They go together.
>
> I would like to be a consultant for Computer Media Production. As a
> consultant,
> would that mean that
> people would hire me to tell them what they need to accomplish what they
> want
> to do? I am unclear on
> this. In other words, Joe Blow wants to edit his home movies and create
> DVDs of
> them. Well, there is
> no real computer you can buy off the shelf that would let you do that. I
> know
> that video production
> involves having a higher end PC with a dedicated hard drive for capture,
> which
> software to use,
> which capture card to use in order to encode the analog video to digital,
> etc.
> Then, the need the
> DVD recorder, which format DVD, dual layer or not, how to create menus and
> chapter points, etc.
>
> Here's my problem understanding all of this consulting stuff. I would
> never pay
> anyone to show me
> how to do that. I would do what I did, which was do a ton of research on
> the
> internet and buy the
> stuff I needed and learn it hands on. Wouldnt everyone do that? Or are
> some
> people unable or
> unwilling to do that?
>
> So, my ideal "consulting" job would be to advertise, have someone pay me
> to
> tell them what they need
> and be done with it. But, does it have to go further and I have to
> purchase the
> computer\hardware\software for them? You see, I do not want to support the
> hardware and software. I
> want to tell them what they need and they can buy it. Or, am I supposed to
> get
> the stuff, configure
> it all for them, show them how to use it, etc? If so, I do not want them
> calling me with their
> software problems because they got a virus etc. They can call any other
> computer guy for that or
> even go to the Geek Squad for all I care. I do not mean to sound like I
> dont
> care about them. I am
> trying to say that I do not want to deal with the typical minute problems
> that
> users Are
> consultants "married" to their clients once they deal with them?
>
> Also, suppose I give a quick free consultation to a new client. How do I
> know
> they are not going to
> run off with my info and leave me in the dust?
>
> Again, if I want to charge people for my knowledge to get them up and
> running
> and productive, can my
> job end at that point with them until they need me again for another
> project in
> the future? Please
> excuse my ignorance about what a consultant does clear cut.
>
> Tony
>
>
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: how to start consulting business