Develop a Consulting Program
A consulting program is a service typically organized by universities, nonprofit organizations and professional consultants to provide guidance and advice to individuals and/or groups. Small business consulting, legal advice and career counseling are among the many types of guidance offered. Establishing a consulting program involves defining a program objective, identifying potential service recipients and gathering a group of experts. Here are the steps for developing a consulting program.
Steps
- Define your core area of expertise. Budgeting, business management, legal advice, tax accounting, nutritional advice and career counseling are just a few examples of expertise that may be useful to others.
- Consider the ideal service recipients for your consulting program. Think of individuals, groups, organizations and businesses that can benefit from your expertise. A few examples include young adults in search of a career, small businesses with limited resources, individuals recovering from an illness, and families experiencing financial difficulties.
- Identify the specific need(s) in your community or industry. People in the local community may need career guidance in a tough economy. Small business owners might need marketing advice for new products. Couples may need advice on how to create a budget and manage credit card debts.
- Establish the objective of the consulting program. Helping small business owners navigate the demands of establishing and maintaining a business might be the main goal. Providing free legal advice to those who cannot otherwise afford it may be the objective.
- Gather a team of experts. In a university, the team might consist of professors and graduate students. Participants of a consulting program in a nonprofit organization might be local subject matter experts. A group of executive consultants might work together in a consulting program.
- Decide on the consulting format. Advice may be delivered via a presentation to a large group of participants in a community gathering place. Guidance on more private matters should be delivered one-on-one to preserve client privacy.
- Determine the fees associated with the service.
- Consider your main objective when setting the fee. A nonprofit organization might offer free financial consulting services to families in the community. A university consulting program is typically offered free of charge because it simultaneously provides a service to the community and experience for graduate students.
- Research the market rate. Charging for an executive consulting program involves researching the going rate for this type of work. Investigate the fees of other consulting programs.
- Market the consulting program.
- Create a consulting program website. Describe the nature of the service, the cost and the people or groups who typically benefit from your advice. Include contact information.
- Participate in online discussion forums. Find a discussion on a relevant problem and contribute your viewpoint. Over time, you will gain a reputation for being helpful and can notify others about your consulting program.
- Make business cards. Conversations may occur at any time, allowing you to hand out business cards. Place business cards in areas often frequented by your target audience. Bulletin boards in grocery stores, coffee shops and dog parks are a few examples when targeting families.
- Attend networking events. Local meetings for small business owners or career fairs for recent graduates are gathering places attended by people who might need your consulting services.
- Mail brochures to prospective clients. A brochure that includes a list of benefits to clients can be mailed to people's homes, small businesses or large corporations, depending on your service type.
