What is a consultant? Some would argue that it’s a pretty vague pursuit. Google defines it as a person who provides expert advice professionally. Sure, there could be many areas in which a consultant may work, but that doesn’t mean the job title is vague! As long as you know what niche you want to consult in, starting a consulting businesses needn’t be a vague pursuit at all.
Consultancy is one of the most successful service-based industries in the world. Not only are more and more people willing to pay for advice from experts, but consultancy is actually a very ‘portable’ job – it’s one of the few services a given economy has that can be exported to other countries with relative ease.
If you’re looking to become the Yoda of the business world, here’s what you need to think about.
Choosing your niche
The demand for a given niche is important. Accounting and technology are obvious areas for wannabe consultants to consider, and with good reason: the demand in these areas is incredibly high. You should check out a list of the most in-demand consultancy niches. Of course, you’re not going to get very far if you can’t actually prove your expertise – after all, your expertise is what you’re selling. Make sure you can back up your expertise with qualifications and certificates.
Building a website
Building an accessible website is extremely important. Most people looking for these kinds of services are going to look for them online, and the first thing they’ll see regarding your business is your website. Your website should be as usable as possible, with access to any information regarding your qualifications as a client might need. If you can get feedback from previous clients, then these should be featured on your website, too. And make sure there is clear and accessible contact information on your website! You don’t want to make the (alarmingly common) error of building a great website only for people to find no way of contacting you.
Specialized marketing
Because most people are going to be looking for consultants using the Internet, you need to ensure that your website can actually be found. If you think that your website simply existing means it will appear in Google searches, you’re wrong: not even 1% of websites on the Internet can be found on Google. So you need to make sure you’re engaging in search engine optimization. Better yet, ensure that you’re using specialized SEO. For example, if you’re going to be a financial advisor, then you should look into SEO for financial advisors.
Getting clients
Networking is absolutely critical to this line of work. So if you’re a bit socially awkward, or have no idea how to network, then those are things you’re going to need to work on! You need to start building on a list of contacts, ranging from fellow consultants in your industry, to consultants who work different but similar industries that may also require your expertise. You’ll also need to start building connections with as many people within your chosen industry as possible. This should range from big businesses to nascent startups.