| business plan for consulting firm: Managing The Professional Service Firm David H. Maister, 2012-12-11 Professional service firms differ from other business enterprises in two distinct ways: first they provide highly customised services thus cannot apply many of the management principles developed for product-based industries. Second, professional services are highly personalised, involving the skills of individuals. Such firms must therefore compete not only for clients but also for talented professionals. Drawing on more than ten years of research and consulting to these unique and creative companies, David Maister explores issues ranging from marketing and business development to multinational strategies, human resources policies to profit improvement, strategic planning to effective leadership. While these issues can be complex, Maister simplifies them by recognising that 'every professional service firm in the world, regardless of size, specific profession, or country of operation, has the same mission statement: outstanding service to clients, satisfying careers for its people and financial success for its owners.' |
| business plan for consulting firm: Consulting Success Michael Zipursky, 2018-10-16 How can you take your skills and expertise and package and present it to become a successful consultant? There are proven time-tested principles, strategies, tactics and best-practices the most successful consultants use to start, run and grow their consulting business. Consulting Success teaches you what they are. In this book you'll learn: - How to position yourself as a leading expert and authority in your marketplace - Effective marketing and branding materials that get the attention of your ideal clients - Strategies to increase your fees and earn more with every project - The proposal template that has generated millions of dollars in consulting engagements - How to develop a pipeline of business and attract ideal clients - Productivity secrets for consultants including how to get more done in one week than most people do in a month - And much, much more |
| business plan for consulting firm: The Nonprofit Business Plan David La Piana, Heather Gowdy, Lester Olmstead-Rose, Brent Copen, 2017-03-24 A fresh, compelling approach to establishing a sustainable, results-driven nonprofit business plan. Nonprofits often use the terms “strategic planning” and “business planning” interchangeably, but a good business plan goes beyond the traditional strategic plan with its focus on mission and vision, goals and objectives. The Nonprofit Business Plan, created by the nationally recognized nonprofit consultant experts at La Piana Consulting, helps your nonprofit organization understand what a strategic business plan is and why you need one, then provides a practical, proven process for creating a successful, sustainable business model. This groundbreaking resource further explains how your nonprofit can determine whether a potential undertaking is economically viable—a vital tool in today’s economic climate—and how to understand and solve challenges as they arise. With detailed instructions, worksheets, essential tools, case studies, and a rigorous financial analysis presented clearly and accessibly for executives, board members, and consultants, The Nonprofit Business Plan is also an important resource for non-specialist audiences such as potential funders and investors. This innovative step-by-step guide will provide your team with a solid set of business decisions so that your nonprofit can achieve maximum results for years to come. |
| business plan for consulting firm: Write a Business Plan in No Time Frank Fiore, 2005 Small business owners are walked through the process of writing a business plan step-by-step using easy-to-follow to-do lists--from determining the type of plan needed to what the various pieces should be to common mistakes to avoid. |
| business plan for consulting firm: The New Consultant's Quick Start Guide Elaine Biech, 2019-04-16 An action plan for working as a consultant Management consulting is a $250 billion industry and growing at a rate of over four percent annually. Many predict that more than 40 percent of the U.S. workforce will soon be contingent, freelance, or consulting members of the workforce—making this book more relevant than ever. Individuals become independent consultants out of necessity or preference: necessity because they lost their job or the company offered an attractive exit package; preference because they want a career change, more control over their time, or an enriched, varied work situation. Consulting also appeals to the Millennial workforce who are searching for careers that offer a good salary as well as meaningful work. The New Consultant’s Quick Start Guide: • Serves as a companion to The New Business of Consulting • Provides you with a place to plan your transition into consulting • Helps you identify your niche, develop a business plan, charge what you’re worth, and create a marketing strategy to ensure a steady stream of clients • Prepares you for changes you will encounter beyond your professional life, including social, family, and financial aspects The New Consultant’s Quick Start Guide helps you work through the challenges of consulting such as working alone, deciding on necessary insurance coverage, finding your first clients, struggling with cash flow, and understanding market trends. |
| business plan for consulting firm: The Business Plan Gerald Schwetje, Sam Vaseghi, 2007-08-24 This book provides the essentials to write a successful business plan. The represented methods and best practices have been approved over many years in practice with many management consulting engagements. The book is beautifully structured, it has a pragmatic emphasis and an autodidactic approach. The reader gets acquainted with the skills and competencies as well as tools, required for the planning and development of the business plan project. |
| business plan for consulting firm: The Everything Start Your Own Consulting Business Book Dan Ramsey, 2009-10-18 Consultants work in all fields. They operate from offices and from home, work for investment firms and as personal trainers, or have expertise as accountants and wedding planners. The independence, flexibility, and potential income it brings make for an exciting and satisfying career. And it’s an increasingly popular one for highly skilled, motivated professionals who’ve been laid off in this unstable economy. This guide features tips and tricks to help beat the competition, including how to: Set—and keep—personal and financial goals Organize important paperwork Price and market specific services Create advertising and publicity plans Grow a business, from finding a partner to managing employees Minimize and eliminate business risks Consultants are paid well for their advice—if they know how to operate a successful business. With advice from experts in a variety of areas, this valuable guide helps you create the business of your dreams! |
| business plan for consulting firm: Writing Business Plans That Get Results Michael O'Donnell, 1991-04-22 The author leads readers through a series of exercises that will form the basis for a complete business plan.... clear, easy to follow. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved. |
| business plan for consulting firm: The Irresistible Consultant's Guide to Winning Clients David A. Fields, 2017-03-21 This deeply insightful guide to understanding what clients really want is “an indispensable resource for consultants” (Keith Ferrazzi, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Never Eat Alone). Independent consulting is a potentially lucrative enterprise—but the reality seldom matches the dream. Most solo consultants and boutique consulting firms are perpetually within six months of bankruptcy due to the sputtering unreliability of their new business engines. The problem, according to international consulting expert David A. Fields, is twofold: 1) lack of a consistent, proven plan, and 2) fundamental misunderstanding about what clients want in a consultant. Fields, who has helped hundreds of consultants and boutique firms worldwide build profitable, sustainable practices, replaces the typical consultant’s mindset of emphasizing expertise and differentiated processes with a focus on building relationships, engendering trust, and solving clients’ existing problems. In The Irresistible Consultant’s Guide to Winning Clients, Fields synthesizes his decades of experience into a step-by-step approach to winning more projects from more clients at higher fees. From nuts-and-bolts business advice and tactics to a deeply insightful breakdown of the human side of a very human profession, Fields, named one of Advertising Age magazine’s “Marketing Top 100,” delivers a comprehensive guidebook that is at once highly approachable and satisfyingly detailed. “If I could have just one book on client strategy, this book would be it.” —Marshall Goldsmith, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Triggers |
| business plan for consulting firm: How Clients Buy Tom McMakin, Doug Fletcher, 2018-03-13 The real-world guide to selling your services and bringing in business How Clients Buy is the much-needed guide to selling your services. If you're one of the millions of people whose skills are the 'product,' you know that you cannot be successful unless you bring in clients. The problem is, you're trained to do your job—not sell it. No matter how great you may be at your actual role, you likely feel a bit lost, hesitant, or 'behind' when it comes to courting clients, an unfamiliar territory where you're never quite sure of the line between under- and over-selling. This book comes to the rescue with real, practical advice for selling what you do. You'll have to unlearn everything you know about sales, but then you'll learn new skills that will help you make connections, develop rapport, create interest, earn trust, and turn prospects into clients. Business development is critical to your personal success, and your skills in this area will dictate the course of your career. This invaluable guide gives you a set of real-world best practices that can help you become the rainmaker you want to be. Get the word out and make productive connections Drop the fear of self-promotion and advertise your accomplishments Earn potential clients' trust to build a lasting relationship Scrap the sales pitch in favor of honesty, positivity, and value Working in the consulting and professional services fields comes with difficulties not encountered by those who sell tangible products. Services are often under-valued, and become among the first things to go when budgets get tight. It is now harder than ever to sell professional services, so your game must be on-point if you hope to out-compete the field. How Clients Buy shows you how to level up and start winning the client list of your dreams. |
| business plan for consulting firm: How to Write a Winning Business Report Joseph Mancuso, 1992-04-09 A CLEAR, STEP-BY-STEP SYSTEM FOR WRITING A BUSINESS PLAN THAT WILL ATTRACT THE FINANCING YOU NEED Joseph R. Mancuso offers key guidelines and valuable tips on how to gear your business plan to the people who control the cash. Featuring the original business plans from three highly successful businesses, plans that raised millions in upfront financing, How to Write a Winning Business Plan also reveals: * What financiers look for in a plan * Nine questions that every plan must answer * How to prospect for financial sources * How to romance the money men * How to locate hidden sources of capital * How to handle objections * How to gain a commitment * And much more Complete with handy checklists and key financial forms, this book is your launch pad for a thriving business venture. |
| business plan for consulting firm: The Profitable Consultant Jay Niblick, 2013-03-15 Selling can be uncomfortable for professional business consultants and executive coaches. The two biggest problems are generating more qualified leads, and turning those leads into actual paying clients. Taking traditional beliefs about how best to sell and turning them completely upside down, author Jay Niblick rewrites the sales playbook for the consulting and coaching industry. His proven five-step sales process is specifically designed for independent business consultants and coaches, serving as a common set of rules to grow their practice, deliver more value and generate more revenue. The Profitable Consultant delivers a suite of ready-to-launch tools that will automate readers’ marketing efforts, so they can focus more time delivering revenue-generating services -- to even more clients. |
| business plan for consulting firm: How to Write a Great Business Plan William A. Sahlman, 2008-03-01 Judging by all the hoopla surrounding business plans, you'd think the only things standing between would-be entrepreneurs and spectacular success are glossy five-color charts, bundles of meticulous-looking spreadsheets, and decades of month-by-month financial projections. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, often the more elaborately crafted a business plan, the more likely the venture is to flop. Why? Most plans waste too much ink on numbers and devote too little to information that really matters to investors. The result? Investors discount them. In How to Write a Great Business Plan, William A. Sahlman shows how to avoid this all-too-common mistake by ensuring that your plan assesses the factors critical to every new venture: The people—the individuals launching and leading the venture and outside parties providing key services or important resources The opportunity—what the business will sell and to whom, and whether the venture can grow and how fast The context—the regulatory environment, interest rates, demographic trends, and other forces shaping the venture's fate Risk and reward—what can go wrong and right, and how the entrepreneurial team will respond Timely in this age of innovation, How to Write a Great Business Plan helps you give your new venture the best possible chances for success. |
| business plan for consulting firm: Leave Your Mark Aliza Licht, 2015-05-05 Leave Your Mark isn't an advice book -- it's a mentorship in 288 pages. Aliza Licht-global fashion communications executive, AKA fashion's favorite 'PR girl' and former Twitter phenomenon-is here to tell her story, complete with The Devil Wears Prada-like moments and insider secrets. Drawing invaluable lessons from her experience, Licht shares advice, inspiration, and a healthy dose of real talk in Leave Your Mark. She delivers personal and professional guidance for people just starting their careers and for people who are well on their way. With a particular emphasis on communicating and building your personal brand, something she knows a thing or two about, Aliza is your sassy, knowledgeable guide to the contemporary working world, where personal and professional lines are blurred and the most important thing you can have is a strong sense of self. |
| business plan for consulting firm: Start at the End David Lavinsky, 2012-11-19 Re-focus your business plan and achieve the success your business deserves Business owners, and their teams, often lose their way in the midst of the day-to-day stress of generating sales and profits. Whether your goal is selling millions of your product, expanding operations to a new location, or generating more profits, Start at the End offers a unique approach and action steps for business owners and entrepreneurs to redevelop your business plan and achieve ultimate success. You'll learn how to re-create your long-term vision and then make continuous progress in achieving that vision while continuing to hit your short-term goals. Start at the End offers inspiring stories of other entrepreneurs who have achieved significant success in this area, as well as easy-to-follow exercises and next steps. Shows how to develop a realistic business and financial model based on market data Explains how to identify and pursue new opportunities, raise capital, and build growth strategies Start at the End gives business owners a chance to take a step back, re-evaluate your business, and redesign your business plan to achieve the success you dreamed of when you first launched your company. |
| business plan for consulting firm: Ten Years to Midnight Blair H. Sheppard, 2020-08-04 “Shows how humans have brought us to the brink and how humanity can find solutions. I urge people to read with humility and the daring to act.” —Harpal Singh, former Chair, Save the Children, India, and former Vice Chair, Save the Children International In conversations with people all over the world, from government officials and business leaders to taxi drivers and schoolteachers, Blair Sheppard, global leader for strategy and leadership at PwC, discovered they all had surprisingly similar concerns. In this prescient and pragmatic book, he and his team sum up these concerns in what they call the ADAPT framework: Asymmetry of wealth; Disruption wrought by the unexpected and often problematic consequences of technology; Age disparities--stresses caused by very young or very old populations in developed and emerging countries; Polarization as a symptom of the breakdown in global and national consensus; and loss of Trust in the institutions that underpin and stabilize society. These concerns are in turn precipitating four crises: a crisis of prosperity, a crisis of technology, a crisis of institutional legitimacy, and a crisis of leadership. Sheppard and his team analyze the complex roots of these crises--but they also offer solutions, albeit often seemingly counterintuitive ones. For example, in an era of globalization, we need to place a much greater emphasis on developing self-sustaining local economies. And as technology permeates our lives, we need computer scientists and engineers conversant with sociology and psychology and poets who can code. The authors argue persuasively that we have only a decade to make headway on these problems. But if we tackle them now, thoughtfully, imaginatively, creatively, and energetically, in ten years we could be looking at a dawn instead of darkness. |
| business plan for consulting firm: The Personal Business Plan Stephen Bruyant-Langer, 2013-10-14 Plan for success No one would embark on a business venture without a thorough and coherent plan. So why are so many of us happy to stagger through life with no real plan – just going with the flow, seeing what happens? It’s time we gave our lives the same importance we give to our business exploits. The Personal Business Plan offers a practical, field-tested method for effectively planning out what you want from life and exactly how to achieve it. It will change the way you look at yourself, your job and your career. This is an essential toolkit for all ambitious career professionals who want to know how to thrive in their job and simultaneously become a happier and more effective person. Creating your own personal business plan will help you to define your purpose, plan your actions, break through limiting beliefs and reinvent yourself. Written by a top executive coach and head-hunter with the world’s leading Talent Management and Executive Search firm who has changed the lives of thousands of people A field-tested methodology for identifying your mission, setting your critical success criteria, defining your agenda, keeping to the point and become more fulfilled and happier A complete life view – how to excel in your chosen career and simultaneously enjoy a happy personal life |
| business plan for consulting firm: Business Planning for Enduring Social Impact Andrew Wolk, Kelley Kreitz, Root Cause, 2008 |
| business plan for consulting firm: How to Write a Great Business Plan for Your Small Business in 60 Minutes Or Less Sharon L. Fullen, Dianna Podmoroff, 2006 One CD-ROM disc in pocket. |
| business plan for consulting firm: Consulting Fees Andréa Coutu, 2013-10-09 Thinking of consulting? Want to earn more from your clients? Discover how to set your consulting fees and get more money from every contract. Influence the way existing and potential clients view you and your consulting business by analyzing your market and using your fees as a marketing tool. Calculate your rate using consulting fee models. Navigate sticky situations - like requests to cut your fees, negotiate your quotes or work for free. Andrea Coutu's Consulting Fees helps consultants calculate consulting fees that they can ask for with confidence. |
| business plan for consulting firm: The New New Thing: A Silicon Valley Story Michael M. Lewis, 2000 Tells the unlikely story of Silicon Valley through the life of one of its great achievers--Jim Clark, who founded Silicon Graphics and Netscape and may be on the verge of another trillion-dollar company. |
| business plan for consulting firm: An Insider's Guide to Building a Successful Consulting Practice Bruce L. KATCHER Ph.D., 2010-03-15 Whether you’re a beginner just starting up a consulting practice, or a veteran looking for ways to invigorate your existing business, An Insider’s Guide to Building a Successful Consulting Practice is an invaluable resource. Featuring real stories from consultants in diverse industries, the book offers simple yet powerful ways to: Identify a market and narrow your focus • Make a smooth transition from employee to independent consultant • Sell effectively even if you’ve never sold before • Establish visibility through speaking, writing, and networking • Build credibility by leveraging the credibility of others • Set prices based on value • Develop a marketing strategy and divide your time between marketing and delivering your services • Keep plenty of work in your pipeline • Adapt and thrive in any market condition • And much more Complete with the results of an original survey of 200 successful independent consultants, this handy guide provides the kind of real-life advice you need to build a thriving business. |
| business plan for consulting firm: The Complete Book of Business Plans Joseph Covello, Brian Hazelgren, 2006-10-01 Readers have turned to The Complete Book of Business Plans for almost 10 years for advice and information, making it one of the bestselling business planning books of our time. Authors Brian Hazelgren and Joseph Covello have gone back to the drawing board on this updated edition, providing you with more than a dozen brand-new business plans that will help you attract the financing and investment you need. The Complete Book of Business Plans also includes revised and updated information on how to get started, what questions to ask and how to finalize a business plan that will get you off the ground and running. For business owners just starting out or seasoned veterans that want to bring their business to the next level, The Complete Book of Business Plans is the only reference they need to get the funding they're looking for. |
| business plan for consulting firm: The New Business of Consulting Elaine Biech, 2019-05-07 Everything you ever wanted to know about consulting—a practical roadmap for aspiring entrepreneurs Seismic changes occurring in the workforce are leading to more and more people entering the world of contract, freelance, and contingency work. Rapid changes in demographics and advances in technology have led companies and talent to engage in profoundly new ways and consulting is one of the keys to success. The New Business of Consulting is authentic and practical, and shares the knowledge and skills required to start and grow a successful consulting business. From how to make a smooth career transition, to how to determine a consulting fee, to how consultants inadvertently create a bad reputation, it covers everything you need to know to thrive and flourish in this competitive field. Covers contemporary topics, such as how to achieve success in the gig economy Discloses a reliable technique to land the clients you want Presents options to help you balance your life and your business Prepares you for naming your business, managing critical financial issues, and building a client relationship Shows you how to take your income and impact beyond working as a solopreneur The crucial start-up days of a consulting business may be frenetic and fraught with questions. This new edition provides sanity and answers all the questions. It includes practical tools, templates, and checklists that you can download and implement immediately. |
| business plan for consulting firm: The Pumpkin Plan Mike Michalowicz, 2012-07-05 Each year Americans start one million new businesses, nearly 80 percent of which fail within the first five years. Under such pressure to stay alive—let alone grow—it’s easy for entrepreneurs to get caught up in a never-ending cycle of “sell it—do it, sell it—do it” that leaves them exhausted, frustrated, and unable to get ahead no matter how hard they try. This is the exact situation Mike Michalowicz found himself in when he was trying to grow his first company. Although it was making steady money, there was never very much left over and he was chasing customers left and right, putting in twenty-eight-hour days, eight days a week. The punishing grind never let up. His company was alive but stunted, and he was barely breathing. That’s when he discovered an unlikely source of inspiration—pumpkin farmers. After reading an article about a local farmer who had dedicated his life to growing giant pumpkins, Michalowicz realized the same process could apply to growing a business. He tested the Pumpkin Plan on his own company and transformed it into a remarkable, multimillion-dollar industry leader. First he did it for himself. Then for others. And now you. So what is the Pumpkin Plan? Plant the right seeds: Don’t waste time doing a bunch of different things just to please your customers. Instead, identify the thing you do better than anyone else and focus all of your attention, money, and time on figuring out how to grow your company doing it. Weed out the losers: In a pumpkin patch small, rotten pumpkins stunt the growth of the robust, healthy ones. The same is true of customers. Figure out which customers add the most value and provide the best opportunities for sustained growth. Then ditch the worst of the worst. Nurture the winners: Once you figure out who your best customers are, blow their minds with care. Discover their unfulfilled needs, innovate to make their wishes come true, and overdeliver on every single promise. Full of stories of other successful entrepreneurs, The Pumpkin Plan guides you through unconventional strategies to help you build a truly profitable blue-ribbon company that is the best in its field. |
| business plan for consulting firm: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Writing Business Plans and Proposals K. Dennis Chambers, 2007-12-30 Entrepreneurs—and entrepreneurial companies—live or die by the quality of their plans and proposals. Whether it's to get funding for a new product line or business from a client, writing hard-hitting prose that answers essential questions and makes specific requests is an indispensable skill. Entrepreneur, ad man, and writing teacher Dennis Chambers shows how entrepreneurs can persuade people, through skillful writing, to pony up capital or contracts. This ability—which can be learned—is rare in today's media-saturated world. But it counts more than ever if an entrepreneur wants to make it over the magical five-year hump and on into lasting business success. Numerous examples and exercises ensure that entrepreneurs understand how the writing game is played—and that they play it well. Unfortunately, most don't play this game well. Most business writers mistakenly believe their task is to inform. They write to fill an information gap or to update the reader on a particular project. Or they write about what's important to them. What these writers do not take into account is that the speed of today's work world has reached overdrive. The typical reader simply doesn't have time to ponder dense, poorly organized information and intuit the appropriate action. And readers don't give a hoot about what's important to the writer—they want to know what's in it for themselves. Business writers need to use all the tools at their command to persuade, inspire action, and in general move a project forward. This book is about how to be persuasive in two key skills in business: writing proposals and writing business plans. Step by step, Dennis Chambers illustrates the techniques of effective business writing, with numerous examples throughout. Whether the objective is to secure financing from an investor, lay out a marketing strategy, or secure a large contract, getting results requires crafting an effective structure for the proposal, and using words that sell. Chambers is an able guide in saving entrepreneurs time and undue effort while reaching the goal of long-term business success. |
| business plan for consulting firm: Franchise Your Business Mark Siebert, 2015-12-21 Franchise Your Growth Expert franchise consultant Mark Siebert delivers the ultimate how-to guide to employing the greatest growth strategy ever—franchising. Siebert tells you what to expect, how to move forward, and avoid costly mistakes as he imparts decades of experience, insights, and practical advice to help grow your business exponentially through franchising. Learn how to: Evaluate your existing businesses for franchisability Identify the advantages and disadvantages of franchising Develop a business plan for growth on steroids Evaluate legal risk, obtain necessary documents, and protect intellectual property Create marketing plans, build lead generation, and branding for a new franchise Cultivate the franchisee-franchisor relationship |
| business plan for consulting firm: Guide to Business Planning Graham Friend, Stefan Zehle, 2009-04 A comprehensive guide to every aspect of preparing and using a business plan--newly updated and revised. New businesses and existing businesses fare better with well-thought-out plans. It is essential to have a good business plan to raise capital--either for a new venture to get additional capital or within most corporations for new initiatives or for accelerated growth--Provided by publisher. |
| business plan for consulting firm: The Successful Business Plan Rhonda M. Abrams, Eugene Kleiner, 2003 Forbes calls The Successful Business Plan one of the best books for small businesses. This new edition offers advice on developing business plans that will succeed in today's business climate. Includes up-to-date information on what's being funded now. |
| business plan for consulting firm: Ninja Selling Larry Kendall, 2017-01-03 2018 Axiom Business Book Award Winner, Gold Medal Stop Selling! Start Solving! In Ninja Selling, author Larry Kendall transforms the way readers think about selling. He points out the problems with traditional selling methods and instead offers a science-based selling system that gives predictable results regardless of personality type. Ninja Selling teaches readers how to shift their approach from chasing clients to attracting clients. Readers will learn how to stop selling and start solving by asking the right questions and listening to their clients. Ninja Selling is an invaluable step-by-step guide that shows readers how to be more effective in their sales careers and increase their income-per-hour, so that they can lead full lives. Ninja Selling is both a sales platform and a path to personal mastery and life purpose. Followers of the Ninja Selling system say it not only improved their business and their client relationships; it also improved the quality of their lives. |
| business plan for consulting firm: The Making of a Bestseller Brian Hill, Dee Power, 2005 For each of the 150,000 books published in 2002, there are dozens that are still hoping to see the light of day. Bowkers estimates less than 1% to successfully climbing the bestseller list. What separates the winners in the battle for bestseller status? Capitalizing on insight gained from interviews with industry experts and authors such as Steve Riggio, Jack Canfield, Spencer Johnson, and more this book takes a comprehensive look at the publishing process from start to finish and, ultimately, what separates a bestselling book from all the other books published each year. Authors and would-be authors all have a curiosity about how the other guy does it- and this book takes it one step farther by describing what goes into making a bestseller. This book is for authors and would-be-authors and individuals in the publishing industry. |
| business plan for consulting firm: Ask a Manager Alison Green, 2018-05-01 From the creator of the popular website Ask a Manager and New York’s work-advice columnist comes a witty, practical guide to 200 difficult professional conversations—featuring all-new advice! There’s a reason Alison Green has been called “the Dear Abby of the work world.” Ten years as a workplace-advice columnist have taught her that people avoid awkward conversations in the office because they simply don’t know what to say. Thankfully, Green does—and in this incredibly helpful book, she tackles the tough discussions you may need to have during your career. You’ll learn what to say when • coworkers push their work on you—then take credit for it • you accidentally trash-talk someone in an email then hit “reply all” • you’re being micromanaged—or not being managed at all • you catch a colleague in a lie • your boss seems unhappy with your work • your cubemate’s loud speakerphone is making you homicidal • you got drunk at the holiday party Praise for Ask a Manager “A must-read for anyone who works . . . [Alison Green’s] advice boils down to the idea that you should be professional (even when others are not) and that communicating in a straightforward manner with candor and kindness will get you far, no matter where you work.”—Booklist (starred review) “The author’s friendly, warm, no-nonsense writing is a pleasure to read, and her advice can be widely applied to relationships in all areas of readers’ lives. Ideal for anyone new to the job market or new to management, or anyone hoping to improve their work experience.”—Library Journal (starred review) “I am a huge fan of Alison Green’s Ask a Manager column. This book is even better. It teaches us how to deal with many of the most vexing big and little problems in our workplaces—and to do so with grace, confidence, and a sense of humor.”—Robert Sutton, Stanford professor and author of The No Asshole Rule and The Asshole Survival Guide “Ask a Manager is the ultimate playbook for navigating the traditional workforce in a diplomatic but firm way.”—Erin Lowry, author of Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together |
| business plan for consulting firm: Never Say Sell Tom McMakin, Jacob Parks, 2020-10-27 Learn the secrets of how recurring revenue is driven at expert firms like BCG, KPMG, EY, and more Never Say Sell: How the World's Best Consulting and Professional Services Firms Expand Client Relationships explains how to scale individual engagements into long-term business relationships. Cowritten by Tom McMakin, the coauthor of How Clients Buy and expert in account development, and colleague Jacob Parks, this book provides insights from key rainmakers at firms like Accenture, IBM, and more into how they drive growth from existing relationships. Never Say Sell is a business development guide for professional service providers like consultants, accountants, and lawyers, whether they are sole proprietors or members of account teams tasked with expanding key accounts. Doing good work with existing clients is not enough to have them come back to you again and again. You must do more. This book explores the techniques and methods that leading professional service providers use to add value, cross sell, and drive recurring revenue from existing engagements. Never Say Sell will help you turn one-and-done clients into some of your most exciting and lucrative relationships. It is a must-have for any professional who benefits from repeat business. |
| business plan for consulting firm: Million Dollar Consulting Proposals Alan Weiss, 2011-10-14 Bestselling author of Million Dollar Consulting shares the secrets of writing winning proposals Intended for consultants, speakers, and other professional services providers, Million Dollar Consulting® Proposals ends forever the time-consuming and often frustrating process of writing a consulting proposal. It begins with the basics—defining these proposals and why they are necessary—and coaches you through the entire proposal process. In this book, you'll learn how to establish outcome-based business objectives and maximize your success and commensurate fees. From bestselling author Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting Proposals delivers step-by-step guidance on the essential element in creating a million dollar consultancy. Outlines the nine key components to a Million Dollar Consulting proposal structure Presents a dozen Golden Rules for presenting proposals Offers online samples, forms, and templates to maximize the effectiveness of these tools The New York Post calls bestselling author Alan Weiss one of the most highly regarded independent consultants in America. Alan Weiss's expert guidance can lead your consulting business to unprecedented success, and it all starts with a million dollar proposal. |
| business plan for consulting firm: The One Page Business Plan Jim Horan, James T. Horan, Jr., 1998 The One Page Business PIan is the new way to business plan. This innovative process cuts the fluff and filler of traditional business plans and gets the essence of any business onto one page. Traditional business plans remain one of the most difficult documents for any business owner to write, until now. The innovative One Page Business Plan TM removes the mystique and terror of business planning so that any business owner can write a comprehensive business |
| business plan for consulting firm: ADKAR Jeff Hiatt, 2006 In his first complete text on the ADKAR model, Jeff Hiatt explains the origin of the model and explores what drives each building block of ADKAR. Learn how to build awareness, create desire, develop knowledge, foster ability and reinforce changes in your organization. The ADKAR Model is changing how we think about managing the people side of change, and provides a powerful foundation to help you succeed at change. |
| business plan for consulting firm: Million Dollar Consulting, Sixth Edition: The Professional's Guide to Growing a Practice Alan Weiss, 2021-11-23 Build a thriving 21st-century consultancy with an all-new edition of the classic bestseller In a world of rapidly evolving technologies and business paradigms, your consulting business needs to radically adapt its techniques and models. Taking full measure of these changes, Alan Weiss, the “Rock Star of Consulting,” will guide you through the process with a revised and completely updated sixth edition of his authoritative guide to consulting success. Weiss updates his time-tested model for creating a flourishing consulting business, while showing you the many dynamic changes in solo and boutique consulting, coaching, and entrepreneurship. In addition, he offers you invaluable guidance on raising capital, attracting clients, and creating an airtight marketing strategy. This new edition is packed with step-by-step advice on how to: Use volatility and disruption as offensive weapons Maximize fees by adopting a “value mindset” Build a successful model for marketing remotely Master cutting-edge technology to reach the broadest audience Form powerful alliances to increase reach and impact Think branding—and think global Generate six-figure projects, six-figure retainers, and seven-figure incomes Million Dollar Consulting has been the go-to classic for consultants for nearly 25 years. With cutting-edge new content, Alan Weiss will show you how to grow your business into a seven-figure firm today. |
| business plan for consulting firm: Being Boss Emily Thompson, Kathleen Shannon, 2018-04-10 From the creators of the hit podcast comes an interactive self-help guide for creative entrepreneurs, where they share their best tools and tactics on being boss in both business and life. Kathleen Shannon and Emily Thompson are self-proclaimed business besties and hosts of the top-ranked podcast Being Boss, where they talk shop and share their combined expertise with other creative entrepreneurs. Now they take the best of their from-the- trenches advice, giving you targeted guidance on: The Boss Mindset: how to weed out distractions, cultivate confidence, and tackle fraudy feelings Boss Habits: including a tested method for visually mapping out goals with magical results Boss Money: how to stop freaking out about finances and sell yourself (without shame) With worksheets, checklists, and other real tools for achieving success, here's a guide that will truly help you be boss not only at growing your business, but creating a life you love. |
| business plan for consulting firm: The Definitive Business Plan Richard Stutely, 2012-08-21 This comprehensive book will ensure your business plan is robust enough to start, run or revitalise any business enterprise. Whether your goal is raising start-up finance for a new business, requesting venture funding from a corporate parent or directing operational management, The Definitive Business Plan will help you deliver the information the decision-makers are really looking for. Accessible to the newcomer and detailed enough for the experienced planner, the third edition of this international bestseller explains how to tailor a plan for specific readerships and meet specific objectives, helping you to focus your attention on strategic planning as well as on operational controls. The full text downloaded to your computer With eBooks you can: search for key concepts, words and phrases make highlights and notes as you study share your notes with friends eBooks are downloaded to your computer and accessible either offline through the Bookshelf (available as a free download), available online and also via the iPad and Android apps. Upon purchase, you'll gain instant access to this eBook. Time limit The eBooks products do not have an expiry date. You will continue to access your digital ebook products whilst you have your Bookshelf installed. |
| business plan for consulting firm: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Consulting Robert Bacal, 2002 Provides advice on starting a consulting business covering such topics as ethics, data gathering, multiple-income stream strategy, professionalism, marketing, and fee structures. |
BUSINESS | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
BUSINESS definition: 1. the activity of buying and selling goods and services: 2. a particular company that buys and….
VENTURE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
VENTURE definition: 1. a new activity, usually in business, that involves risk or uncertainty: 2. to risk going….
ENTERPRISE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
ENTERPRISE definition: 1. an organization, especially a business, or a difficult and important plan, especially one that….
INCUMBENT | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
INCUMBENT definition: 1. officially having the named position: 2. to be necessary for someone: 3. the person who has or….
AD HOC | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
AD HOC definition: 1. made or happening only for a particular purpose or need, not planned before it happens: 2. made….
LEVERAGE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
LEVERAGE definition: 1. the action or advantage of using a lever: 2. power to influence people and get the results you….
ENTREPRENEUR | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
ENTREPRENEUR definition: 1. someone who starts their own business, especially when this involves seeing a new opportunity….
CULTIVATE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
CULTIVATE definition: 1. to prepare land and grow crops on it, or to grow a particular crop: 2. to try to develop and….
EQUITY | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
EQUITY definition: 1. the value of a company, divided into many equal parts owned by the shareholders, or one of the….
LIAISE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
LIAISE definition: 1. to speak to people in other organizations, etc. in order to work with them or exchange….
BUSINESS | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
BUSINESS definition: 1. the activity of buying and selling goods and services: 2. a particular company that buys and….
VENTURE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
VENTURE definition: 1. a new activity, usually in business, that involves risk or uncertainty: 2. to risk going….
ENTERPRISE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
ENTERPRISE definition: 1. an organization, especially a business, or a difficult and important plan, especially one that….
INCUMBENT | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
INCUMBENT definition: 1. officially having the named position: 2. to be necessary for someone: 3. the person who has or….
AD HOC | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
AD HOC definition: 1. made or happening only for a particular purpose or need, not planned before it happens: 2. made….
LEVERAGE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
LEVERAGE definition: 1. the action or advantage of using a lever: 2. power to influence people and get the results you….
ENTREPRENEUR | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
ENTREPRENEUR definition: 1. someone who starts their own business, especially when this involves seeing a new opportunity….
CULTIVATE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
CULTIVATE definition: 1. to prepare land and grow crops on it, or to grow a particular crop: 2. to try to develop and….
EQUITY | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
EQUITY definition: 1. the value of a company, divided into many equal parts owned by the shareholders, or one of the….
LIAISE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
LIAISE definition: 1. to speak to people in other organizations, etc. in order to work with them or exchange….
