Working in consulting requires a certain degree of confidence. After all, if you’re not confident in your abilities, you’ll have a hard time persuading clients that you know your stuff. But what if you’re not a particularly confident person? What can you do to become more confident? Tips for increasing your confidence Prepare. Remember the […]
Are you confident enough to consult? Read More »
It’s Friday 5 time — a top 5 list to kickstart the weekend. Via Business Week, here’s a list of the top 5 don’ts for a downturn (expired link). Those of you who know how I feel about consulting fees won’t be surprised that I agree with #4: 4. Don’t discount. Cutting your rate just
5 things not to do in a downturn Read More »
I recently wrote about what Steve Nash can teach you about business. Justin Beller commented that greats like Churchill and Michael Jordan can also offer wisdom. Curious, I decided to check out Jordan. I love this Michael Jordan quote I found on ESPN:I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300
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Almost everything–all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure–these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked.
Steve Jobs on following your heart Read More »
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you may run into a period where clients are late in paying. Perhaps it’s not your fault that clients have paid late and you’ve been good at giving clients a short credit window. So what do you do when you’re faced with a delay in payment? Take steps to collect
Managing payment delays Read More »
How long do you give clients to pay? When I set up my consulting contracts, I specify that payment is due at key milestones. I take a certain amount upfront and, depending on the size of the contract, I invoice about every two weeks or at key delivery points. However, I don’t give clients 30
How long do you give clients to pay? Read More »
It’s the weekend…are you working? Do you want to be working? When you’re an independent consultant, time should be your own. You can determine when you want to work — and if. But I know many consultants who work weekends because their clients call them with rush jobs. When the phone rings at 4 pm
Do you work weekends? Read More »
Via Flying Solo, I found a list of ways to set business goals. I loved their example list for making more money: Charge a lot more; Speak for money; Create a high-end product to sell (or multiple products); Work with different clients who expect you to charge a lot more; Sell someone else’s related product
Friday 5: making more money Read More »
What Steve Nash can teach you about business Basketball MVP Steve Nash has had some phenomenal successes in his career. I recently read this quote from Nash, who grew up just a few hours away from me: People have always doubted whether I was good enough to play this game at this level. I thought
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You quote on a project, but the prospective clients says you’re too high. You were really hoping to land this client and now the money seems less important than the prestige. You’re just starting out and your client list is pretty slim. Should you drop your rate? No way. If you discount your rate to
Should you drop your rate to build a client list? Read More »
