If you’re an expert on something and you aren’t constructing an empire around it, you need a business consultant.
Here you are, 20-some years into your profession. You’ve developed a set of skills that could only be honed though experience. You understand your craft, and are by all accounts successful.
You have, right in the palm of your hand, the ability to develop a million dollar business
Consulting isn’t something you do when an eager young colleague comes to you for a bit of advice – it can be the foundation of your next step in business. Developing a practice from the ground up is by no means easy, but many entrepreneurs-cum-consultants say it is the most rewarding work they’ve ever done. It can also be very lucrative
The trick is to look around for a general lack of knowledge in an area where you’ve already learned the hard lessons. In this way realtors can become business management consultants. It’s important that you develop your own way of working – after all, folks are paying for YOU. Your product is your experience and your manner of delivery. In this way, you’ll always stand apart form the competition. If you see a lot of consultants in your area working on leadership, shift your offering to branding or operations. There are an endless number of niches to consider, as long as the need is unmet in the marketplace.
As you begin looking for consulting opportunities, you’ll definitely want to start positioning yourself as an authority in your industry. Write a manual or book, or a white paper. Reach out to podcasts, throw events…anything you can do to get your materials to more people in the right industry. If you’re widely respected and depicted as a thought leader, your wares will be easier to pitch.
And you must always be networking. The best networkers find a way to think of it not as a function of business, but as a way to genuinely meet people and share ideas and references. Start with your local community, and you’ll start to find people who are in need of guidance in order to grow their business.
If you’re afraid of public speaking, that’s something you want to work on right away. Speaking engagements are potentially the best way to expand your clientele. Attend seminars and look for opportunities, maybe even organize your own. Base it on your book, or your methods, or your unique point of view. Speaking in front of a large crowd with authority and poise will attract business.
source: www.entrepreneur.com