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 »
This week’s Friday 5 comes from John Wesley — the top 5 ways to build a wonderful life. #5 was especially meaningful for me: Work Towards a Dream You’re Passionate About Even if your life isn’t perfect, you can always build towards a goal you’re passionate about. If you aren’t building towards something, you’re probably
5 steps to a wonderful life Read More »
You may have heard of the Pareto principle, where 80% of your revenues will come from 20% of your clients. I’m not sure how true that holds for consultants, but it’s always seemed pretty likely to me. While it’s good to find new customers, it’s a lot easier to build strong relationships with current clients
Convincing clients to buy again Read More »
Once in a while, I have lunch at a market near my home. There’s a struggling greasy spoon that has changed owners several times. I’ve never ordered from the greasy spoon because their menu looks like this:spaghettichicken burgers sushi potstickers meatloaf pasta with your choice of 10 sauces and three meats teriyaki with your choice
What a greasy spoon can teach you about business Read More »
Happy Fourth of July to my US readers! While you’re celebrating Independence Day, I’m thinking about my time as an independent consultant. I’ve talked about Independence Day before, but let me emphasize this year’s reasons that I love consulting. 5 Reasons I’m Happy to be an Independent Consultant Consulting brings work-life balance It allows me
You open an email and it’s a forwarded message from a trusted colleague: Bob’s a long time friend of mine and his business is looking for someone who can do "windows". I know you usually do consulting, but they’re desperate to get going and they can pay handsomely, if you can start right away. They
Do you do windows? Read More »
With any small business, it’s possible to get caught up in administration. Consider taking steps to automate your business processes, so that you can focus on paying work. How to automate your consulting business Develop "boilerplate" responses for emails and proposals Implement a customer relationship management system for handling incoming leads (like calls and emails)
How to automate your home business Read More »
Although my consulting income tends to be pretty stable, I sometimes have months where I earn more than I expected. I have an emergency fund and enough cash flow that I don’t need to bank all the extra money. I recognize that some people have feast or famine cycles, but I’ve been working long enough
Friday 5: top 5 uses for extra income Read More »
Want to get ahead? Consider taking on a side job. Working at a second job is often a great way to: Pay down credit card debt Save for a downpayment Build up an emergency fund Top up your retirement fund Get your consulting business or other small business off the ground Eliminate your student loans
Side jobs – 10 ways to get ahead Read More »
The next issue of the Consultant Journal newsletter goes out this week. I’ll be talking about breaking free from your comfort zone and sharing some of my own recent attempts to shake things up. If you’d like to get on the list, sign up today with the subscribe form at the top right of this
Next newsletter appears this week Read More »
