What is a consultant?

What is a consultant? The idea of consulting can be confusing. Sure, you’ve met a few "consultants," but, in actuality, what is a consultant? What does it mean to be a consultant? And, better yet, how can you become a consultant?

What is a consultant?

Consultants are independent contractors who are paid hourly, per day, or per project. But rather than get bogged down in figuring out who is and who is not a consultant, let’s talk about how you could become a consultant.

When you think of consultants, you may think of seasoned PhDs billing hundreds of dollars per hour. Yes, there are many consultants who fall into this group. However, what you may not know is that there are thousands of consultants who are just regular people — some of them may even be stay-at-home parents, artists or other people you might not see as "suits".

Remember, in order to become a consultant, you don’t have to be the world’s foremost expert; you simply need to know more than your client knows. That way, you’re offering your client your expertise and knowledge, which he or she compensates you for in the form of a high hourly rate.

Now that you know the answer to the question, "What is a consultant," perhaps you are Interested in becoming a consultant yourself–even as a side job to pay off debt, to build your resume, or just to have more disposable income.

Who knows. Perhaps the next time someone asks, "What is a consultant?" you can answer, "Good question. Seeing as how I am a consultant myself, let me explain it to you."

Need help determining the most lucrative and successful ways to start a consulting business? Consider the Discover Your Inner Consultant course. Or just want to find out how much consultants make? Dive into Consulting Fees.

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