The Consultant's Manual

the long version

If you're serious about starting your own consulting practice, there's something you should know ... No matter how knowledgeable you are in your field ... No matter how expert your advice or impressive your credentials ... If you don't bring an air of consummate professionalism to every phase of your practice - from proposal-writing and fee-setting, to drawing up contracts and issuing reports - you'll almost definitely lose out to the professional who does. But don't worry because with Tom Greenbaum and The Consultants Manual in your corner you can make sure that never happens! Growing out of the author's Harvard consulting course, this book offers level-headed, expert advice on virtually every practical aspect of starting, building, and marketing your consulting practice. Centered around the theme of developing and working an exhaustive business plan for your firm, it leads you step-by-step through the research, planning, and problem-solving stages. Positioning your firm, giving it a name, targeting your market, establishing a sales culture, maintaining top-flight customer service, cash flow, billing, and fee setting ... its all in here, and much more.