Looking for business consultants and business coaching info

[hondaspeder]

For all of the consultants on this board:

What books helped you get started?

What advise would you have for someone just getting started?

Are you a part of any Assosiations or Groups?

Any related blogs that you read frequently?

How did you determine your rates?

Any tips or advice?

Thanks.

-Will

[Cole Taylor]

Unless you received your MBA from a top business school then your choices are limited. If that were the case, however, you probably wouldn’t be asking for help here.

You need to get some experience under your belt before you go out soliciting business. There are a lot of people out there calling themselves consultants. In fact I think it was a consultant that made me a sub sandwich the other day.

I'd suggest getting yourself an analyst gig at either George S May or International Profit Associates. Both have identical business models:

Telemarketing - Sets appointment with business owners with sales rep.

Sales- Job is to drive home solutions to problems all small businesses have [both firms are big fans of the E-myth] making their life easier and allowing them to run their business versus the business running them.

Analyst - Spends two days going through the clients business determining what problems are present and quantifying their cost. Develops a turnaround plan and presents the business owner with his recommendation which is always a consulting agreement. Analyst really emphasizes the total savings from implementing suggested changes.

Consultant - essentially develops all of the systems and controls that the majority of small businesses lack.

Spend some time getting some projects under your belt and then replicate their model.