Review
"You've probably heard that a consultant is someone between jobs. Elaine's book ensures that will never describe you. The Consultant's Quick Start Guide is a sure bet for an effective consulting business." —Ken Blanchard, coauthor, Gung Ho! and The One Minute Manager tm
"Elaine Biech is truly the consultant's consultant. Anyone considering a move to an independent consulting career should devour this book." —Diane Hessan, CEO, Communispace Corporation
"The Consultant's Quick Start Guide is an invaluable resource for all new and seasoned consultants. Elaine Biech has packed into one book tools and references that would take most consultants years to learn and develop." —Richard Chang, CEO, Richard Chang Associates, Inc., and author of The Passion Plan and Performance Scorecards
"What a treat for the new or wannabe consultant-you can think through the initial career decision, plan for the launch of the business, and hang the proverbial shingle with this book as your guide. The author has produced another practical, hands-on approach!" —Ronald E. Gailbraith, CEO, Management 21, Inc
"There's a reason Elaine Biech has the Midas Touch. She's the best at what she does, and she's generous with all her inside information. Even old pros are sure to pick up a few golden nuggets." —Elizabeth Engstrom, director, Maui Writers Retreat
"Elaine Biech does it yet again! She provides what most say can only be learned in the school of hard knocks! Take her wonderful advice to heart!" —Beverly Kaye, president, Career Systems International, Inc., and co-author of The Wall Street Journal best-seller, Love 'Em or Lose 'Em: Getting Good People to Stay
Review
"Elaine biech is truly the consultant's consultant. Anyone considering a move to an independent consulting career should devour this book." —Diane Hessan, CEO, Communispace Corporation
"The Consultant's Quick Start Guide is an invaluable resource for all new and seasoned consultants. Elaine Biech has packed into one book, tools and references that would take most consultants years to learn and develop." —Richard Chang, CEO, Richard Chang Associates, Inc.,Author of, The Passion Plan and Performance Scorecards
"Elaine Biech builds your confidence to take your first steps into consulting. She asks important, tough questions, and them helps you answer them. Read the book, answer its questions, and you will be well-prepared for your first year." —Geoff Belman, consultant and author of The Consultant's Calling
"There's a reason Elaine Biech has the Midas Touch. She's the best at what she does, and she's generous with all her inside information. Even old pros are sure to pick up a few golden nuggets." —Elizabeth Engstrom, Director, Maui Writers Retreat
"Elaine Biech does it yet again! She provides what most say can only be learned in the school of hard knocks! Take her wonderful advice to heart!" —Beverly Kaye, President, Career Systems International, Inc., Co-author of WSJ Best Seller, "Love 'Em or Lose 'Em: Getting Good People to Stay"
Book Description
Your complete blueprint for starting out in the consulting world! Consulting can be a most rewarding career--but being good at consulting is not always enough to keep your business profitable. The Consultant's Quick Start Guide offers a practical approach to setting up a consulting business. Throughout the guide, Elaine Biech--author of the best-selling The Business of Consulting--shares both her own secrets as well as those of numerous other successful consultants. With a focus on the business side of consulting, Biech takes you through a painless, fill-in-the-blanks, step-by-step process for setting up your consulting firm. The book includes information on how to: Develop a dynamic business plan Market consulting services Establish a professional office Meet critical legal requirements Change for services Build client relationships Grow the business Ensure continued professional growth Make money in the business Learn the skills you need to be a successful consultant with this indispensable guide!
Book Info
(Wiley) A complete guide to setting up a consulting firm, offering the secrets of the author, a professional consultant with her own firm, as well the secrets of other successful consultants. Addressed to new and experienced consultants alike, showing how to meet legal requirements, market services, and build client relationships. Softcover. DLC: Consulting firms.
From the Publisher
"Elaine biech is truly the consultant's consultant. Anyone considering a move to an independent consulting career should devour this book." —Diane Hessan, CEO, Communispace Corporation "The Consultant's Quick Start Guide is an invaluable resource for all new and seasoned consultants. Elaine Biech has packed into one book, tools and references that would take most consultants years to learn and develop." —Richard Chang, CEO, Richard Chang Associates, Inc.,Author of, The Passion Plan and Performance Scorecards "Elaine Biech builds your confidence to take your first steps into consulting. She asks important, tough questions, and them helps you answer them. Read the book, answer its questions, and you will be well-prepared for your first year." —Geoff Belman, consultant and author of The Consultant's Calling "There's a reason Elaine Biech has the Midas Touch. She's the best at what she does, and she's generous with all her inside information. Even old pros are sure to pick up a few golden nuggets." —Elizabeth Engstrom, Director, Maui Writers Retreat "Elaine Biech does it yet again! She provides what most say can only be learned in the school of hard knocks! Take her wonderful advice to heart!" —Beverly Kaye, President, Career Systems International, Inc., Co-author of WSJ Best Seller, "Love 'Em or Lose 'Em: Getting Good People to Stay"
From the Inside Flap
This practical resource includes a wealth of useful tools, including worksheets, action lists, sample letters, marketing and promotional ideas, sample dialogues, and more that will help you understand how to create a valuable business. The book also contains forms that are ready-to-use-you simply personalize the forms with your information and use them for things such as cash flow projections, marketing plans, tracking time, and more. If you are a new consultant just starting out, a part-time consultant, or an experienced consultant just realizing that there is also a business to run, The Consultant's Quick Start Guide will be your indispensable guide to creating a viable and valuable business. Advance Praise for The Consultant's Quick Start Guide "You've probably heard that a consultant is someone between jobs. Elaine's book ensures that will never describe you. The Consultant's Quick Start Guide is a sure bet for an effective consulting business."—Ken Blanchard, coauthor, Gung Ho! and The One Minute Manager tm "Elaine Biech is truly the consultant's consultant. Anyone considering a move to an independent consulting career should devour this book."—Diane Hessan, CEO, Communispace Corporation "The Consultant's Quick Start Guide is an invaluable resource for all new and seasoned consultants. Elaine Biech has packed into one book tools and references that would take most consultants years to learn and develop."—Richard Chang, CEO, Richard Chang Associates, Inc., and author of The Passion Plan and Performance Scorecards "What a treat for the new or wannabe consultant-you can think through the initial career decision, plan for the launch of the business, and hang the proverbial shingle with this book as your guide. The author has produced another practical, hands-on approach!"—Ronald E. Gailbraith, CEO, Management 21, Inc. "There's a reason Elaine Biech has the Midas Touch. She's the best at what she does, and she's generous with all her inside information. Even old pros are sure to pick up a few golden nuggets."—Elizabeth Engstrom, director, Maui Writers Retreat "Elaine Biech does it yet again! She provides what most say can only be learned in the school of hard knocks! Take her wonderful advice to heart!"—Beverly Kaye, president, Career Systems International, Inc., and co-author of The Wall Street Journal best-seller, Love 'Em or Lose 'Em: Getting Good People to Stay The Author Elaine Biech is president and managing partner of ebb associates, a strategic implementation, leadership development and experiential learning consulting firm. The consulting firm assists large organizations to work through large-scale change and serves clients in both the private and public sector. Her clients include the American Society for Training and Development, Hershey Chocolate, the IRS, Johnson Wax, the U.S. Navy, McDonald's Corporation, Land's End, Marathon Oil, PricewaterhouseCoopers. Elaine is the author of over two dozen books and articles.
From the Back Cover
Consulting can be a most rewarding career-but being good at consulting is not always enough to keep your business profitable. It is essential that you also learn the skills you need to manage your business. The Consultant's Quick Start Guide offers you a practical approach to setting up a consulting business. The book provides you with a complete blueprint for your first year in business. Throughout the guide, Elaine Biech-author of the best-selling The Business of Consulting-shares both her own secrets as well as those of numerous other successful consultants. With a focus on the business side of consulting, she takes you through a painless, fill-in-the-blanks, step-by-step process for setting up your consulting firm. The book includes information on how to: ? Develop a dynamic business plan ? Market consulting services ? Establish a professional office ? Meet critical legal requirements ? Charge for services ? Build client relationships ? Grow the business ? Ensure continued professional growth ? Make money in the business
About the Author
ELAINE BIECH Elaine Biech is president and managing partner of ebb associates, a strategic implementation, leadership development and experiential learning consulting firm. The consulting firm assists large organizations to work through large-scale change and serves clients in both the private and public sector. Her clients include the American Society for Training and Development, Hershey Chocolate, the IRS, Johnson Wax, the U.S. Navy, McDonald's Corporation, Land's End, Marathon Oil, PricewaterhouseCoopers. Elaine is the author of over two dozen books and articles.
The Consultant's Quick Start Guide: An Action Plan for Your First Year in Business FROM THE PUBLISHER
A simple, painless, and effective process for setting up a consulting firm@pA unique road map for success, The Consultants Quick Start Guide is a practical approach to setting up a consulting business from an award-winning trainer and consultant. Elaine Biech provides an action plan for success for consultants in their first year of business, taking the reader step-by-step through a fill-in-the-blank process for setting up their own firm. Biech shares both her own experiences and the secrets of other successful consultants for building a profitable business, explaining how to market consulting services, establish an office, meet all the legal requirements, and set goals for the firm. The book includes a wealth of valuable resources, including worksheets, action lists, sample letters, marketing and promotion ideas, sample dialogues, and more that will help the beginning or part-time consultant learn how to create a more valuable business.@pElaine Biech (Portage, WI) is President and Managing Partner of ebb associates, a human resource development firm whose clients include McDonalds, Hershey Chocolate, Johnson Wax, NASA, ASTD, and the American Red Cross. She has been a consultant for seventeen years.