Lessons from a Consultant about Business

Avatar Posted by smallbiztrends under Management
From http://competitiondemolition.com 5401 days ago
Made Hot by: Jed on February 5, 2010 9:21 am
This article features 8 lessons from an SEO contractor about how to be successful in business. It could apply to any consultant or professional, including an attorney or management consultant. I thought this was a valuable article because one of the hardest things any new consultant or professional starting a service business has to learn is HOW to run their business. It's harder than it seems.

When you first start out, you know your area of expertise well. But you probably have never gotten training in how to profitably make a business out of your skills. For instance, you have to figure out how to price your services. You have to learn how to deal with customers, including customer service "policies" (informal or formal policies). You must learn to say no to business that will lose you money. Read the article and share your thoughts.





Comments


Written by LeslieGilmour
5397 days ago

A couple of years into consultaning I can agree with many of the points in this post - I think though there are times when giving something away can help - as long as that is completely defined at the start.



Written by ShawnHessinger
5402 days ago

I'm not sure I agree on all of this and the points in particularly I have issue with are not working with startups and not offering anything for nothing. In the first instance, if you have a ready pool of established clients to work with you may be able to say no to startups but in other cases, especially if you are breaking in to things yourself, startups can be a great way to get some practice. In the second, I think a harsh economy is not the best time to start nickle and dime-ing. Just make sure you aren't giving away more than you can afford to and that your clients don't keep expecting more and more.



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