In the dictionary, a consultant is defined as a person who is knowledgeable in a specific area and serves as an advisor to either a company or another person.
There is no doubt that businesses understand the importance of consultants. Firms in the U.S. spent more than $12 billion in 1997 on consultants. Association of Professional Consultants spokesperson Anna Flowers reports an increase in information requests from people seeking entry into the industry. Anna believes the market for consulting business is expanding.
Consultants consult. That’s all there is to it. However, what distinguishes a good consultant from a bad one is their passion for excellence. And–yes, a consultant should know the area on which they are consulting. This makes all the difference.
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Starting a consulting business
It is tough to start any business, but it is even more challenging for one whose goal is to help others run their own more efficiently.
Generally, finding a niche would be an excellent first step in starting a consulting business. Some common niches to consider, depending on your area of expertise, include; Human resources, strategy, law, technology, or some other niches that will help other businesses improve and grow.
Regardless of the category, the client wants guidance but does not desire to hire a full-time advisor. It is your job to fill that gap. Your consulting business may be on the horizon if you have the skills and know-how to offer and you like the idea of being your own boss.
Upon finishing this guide, you will be able to turn your skills and knowledge into a profitable and successful consulting business.
Why start a consulting business
Consultants have many advantages. They are flexible in the jobs they take and the rates they charge for their services. A consulting business has minimal overhead, and you can scale up and down to fit your lifestyle and finances.
Nevertheless, some factors must be considered in order to give your consultancy the best possible shot at success. Before you start your own consulting firm, consider these questions, including how to define your niche, choose your rates, and grow your customer base.
Who can start a consulting business
The fact is, in today’s world, anyone can become a consultant. You just have to figure out what your special gift is. For instance, do you enjoy working with computers?
How often do you keep up with changes to software and hardware, which seem to be occurring almost every day? And can you turn that knowledge into something that people would pay money for? Then you would be an ideal computer consultant.
Or do you know about fund-raising? You may have spent years working for nonprofit agencies in the areas of fund-raising, marketing, public relations, or sales. This is another growing field that you can consider becoming a consultant in if you have the knowledge and experience.
Questions to ask yourself before becoming a Consultant
- Is there any certification or unique licensing I need? In certain professions, special certificates and licenses may be required before you can work as a consultant. You will have to do your research on this first. If your industry requires you to get some special certification or license, then do well to get it first before starting.
- Do I have the qualifications to become a consultant? Make sure that you have the capabilities to do the job before you put out a notice and hope clients start knocking on your door. To become a computer consultant, for instance, you must stay on top of all the changes and trends in the computer industry.
- How organized am I to be a consultant? Do I enjoy planning my day? How well do I manage my time? I hope you answered “yes” to all three questions!
- Is networking something I enjoy? Consultants today must network to succeed. Get started building your network today.
- Do I have short-term and long-term goals? If so, are they compatible with becoming a consultant? You may want to reconsider moving in this direction if you do not believe that your career goals match those required to open and run a consulting business.
Start a Consulting business in Nigeria in 7 steps
1. Pick a Niche
A niche is the area of specialization or industry in which you possess the most experience, skills, basic networks, and knowledge. You need to be passionate about seeing businesses within that sector grow to increase your desire to acquire more knowledge and skills.
Build a business around a niche in which you have high expertise.
2. Registration
Make sure you cross all Ts and dot all Is on all the documents you need to start your firm. Ensure that you are registered with all the relevant authorities, including the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria and the Institute of Management Consultants in Nigeria.
3. Create your website
Business consultants are sought after by many people who are on the internet every day looking for solutions. Prospective clients can find current and complete information on the company’s consulting services on a good website. So, invest in building a great website!
4. Get yourself an Office
When you have adequate capital, renting an office in an accessible but strategic location is a good idea. A good place might be near a lot of businesses in your niche or just a popular area. You could also work from home while going to your clients’ offices for meetings if you want to start small. Here is how you can run a virtual consulting business from home.
5. Employ assistants if you can
A co-consultant or assistant can help reduce the amount of work you have to do. As an example, an assistant or two can answer phone calls, take notes, respond to emails, schedule meetings, type documents, and maintain client records.
6. Set your fees
In general, service fees shouldn’t be too high or too low. Instead, they need to be competitive and fair for services rendered. To decide a reasonable price for your services, find out how much other consultants in your field charge. By researching and calculating, set fees can be kept within the price limit and avoid losing profit.
7. Marketing
Plan a marketing strategy that focuses on attracting and pulling in the right clients. Take advantage of both social media and blogs as well as newspapers, magazines and journals. Referrals and public speaking are two other ways to find clients.
A list of consulting businesses that are thriving today
Although you can be a consultant in just about any field these days, the current top 20 consulting firms include:
1. Accounting
No matter how big or small, all businesses require an accounting service. An accounting consultant can handle all of a company’s financial needs.
2. Advertising
Consultants of this type are often hired by businesses to design an excellent advertising campaign.
3. Auditing
From consultants handling utility bill audits for small businesses to consultants operating large-scale work for telecommunications companies, auditing consultants are living the life these days.
4. Business
Can you help a business make money? Having a good sense of business will make you a good business consultant. This is the second most sought-after field after computer consulting.
5. Business writing
Most business people find it difficult to write even a simple memo-let alone a report. That’s where a business writing consultant comes in!
6. Career counselling
People will always need career counsellors since corporate downsizing are becoming more and more common. A career counsellor helps clients find a job or profession where they will be productive and happy both as employees and as individuals.
7. Communications
Businesses of all sizes and types hire communication consultants to improve communication between employees, which leads to increased efficiency and smoother operations.
8. Computer programmer
The biggest problem you will have if you know computers, from software to hardware, and everything in between is that you will not have enough time in the day to attend to all the many clients you’d have.
9. Editorial services
Expert editors will always be appreciated, whether they are producing newsletters or corporate annual reports.
10. Human resources
Consulting in this field will always enjoy a never-ending supply of corporate clients, both big and small, so long as businesses have people problems.
Read How to start an HR consultancy business
11. Marketing
Do you have experience writing marketing plans for businesses? Do you have ideas that you believe will help to promote a company? How about trying your hand at marketing consulting?
In conclusion
Anyone with a significant amount of experience, expertise, and exceptional management skills in a particular industry can be a consultant. Even though these are some of the essential characteristics of all consultants, they do not guarantee success. Instead, success results from constantly improving those skills so that clients are provided with highly effective solutions.
There is a growing awareness among Nigerians about the advantages of consulting both for their business and personal lives. Consequently, consulting businesses are flourishing in Nigeria. To succeed in this business, you need to be patient, motivated and eager to help businesses and individuals grow.
