Now You're Consulting: in 2013

By NewWorldPublishing

Well here we are in 2013, Christmas feels like a lifetime ago and life is... well beginning to look a lot like the previous year. I told myself that this year would be different, that this year would be great, but if today is any indication, it’s looking a lot like 2012 to me, which looked a lot like 2011, which looked a lot like 2010...

If this sounds familiar, don’t worry, you’re running the same self-talk as more than 95% of the population in developed countries... but with one main difference... you’re looking to take action to change your situation.

If you’ve ever dreamed of becoming your own boss, choosing your own work and working your own hours, then this book was created for you.

It’s a beautiful day here on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland and I have just returned from an early morning surf with the kids where the water was 25 degrees and the waves were a perfect 3 foot high. The lifeguards were just setting up as we were leaving and based on the amount of people out and about they’re going to have a busy day today looking after the local tourists.

I’ve got a jam-packed schedule today, with teleconferences, documents to write and people to call. I am flying to Melbourne tomorrow, so I start calling the people I need to see while there.

I call one of my contacts in Melbourne to find he’s running late thanks to the never-reliable Melbourne public transport system.

He has a young family and he sounds so stressed. He left so early he didn’t get to see his kids this morning and they’ll be in bed by the time he returns home tonight.

I was in exactly the same position 9 years ago, fighting traffic every day in my rush to get to the office in time for the first meeting, then after a hectic day, trying to get home in time to see the kids before bed (I rarely made it home in time).

Seeing my friends and clients stuck in the rut has given me inspiration to write this book and help you break free from the 9 to 5 on a minimum wage and live life to the fullest while you still have time (and health) to do so.

Now You're Consulting was written in early 2013 and is THE practical guide to riding the consulting wave!

Get on the wave, make a difference and enjoy life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: NewWorldPublishing
• Release date: Jan 21, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301310265

Book preview

Written by Ashton Wood

Copyright © Ashton Wood 2013

Published by New World Publishing at Smashwords

ISBN: 9781301310265

License Notes:

This edition is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work and rights of the author.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Part 1 - So Why Consult?

You decide the projects or assignments you want to work on

You select the clients you want to work with

You decide the income you want

You decide the lifestyle you want

Part 2 – What are the Risks?

No Annual leave

No sick pay

No Superannuation

Part 3 – What are the Benefits?

Your off-the-clock-time is YOUR time

You’re free to search for your next client

Part 4 – Networking

Part 5 – PURE FREEDOM

Part 6 – Where to Start?

Choose Your Area of Expertise

Thoughts on How You want to be engaged

Your Office Needs

Your Equipment

Your Training

Part 7 – Now You’re Consulting

Introduction

Be Flexible

Be Available

Planning Your Holidays

Time Management

Think Outside The Box

Stay Out Of The Politics

Schedule Update Meetings

Be Seen

Be Valuable

Be Prompt

Be Honest

Seek Regular Feedback

Ensure Accurate Billing

Be Humble

Dealing With Stress

Keep Expenses in Check

Ready to start?

foreword

Well here we are in 2013, Christmas feels like a lifetime ago and life is… well

beginning to look a lot like the previous year. I told myself that this year would be different, that this year would be great, but if today is any indication, it’s looking a lot like 2012 to me, which looked a lot like 2011, which looked a lot like 2010…

If this sounds familiar, don’t worry, you’re running the same self-talk as more than 95% of the population in developed countries… but with one main difference… you’re looking to take action to change your situation.

If you’ve ever dreamed of becoming your own boss, choosing your own work and working your own hours, then this book was created for you.

Thank you to my beautiful wife Vanessa, whose love, patience and belief in me sees no end.

To my children Romy and Blake, who are the reason I have chosen the lifestyle of a consultant.

To my editors, Isabelle and Patricia. Your attention to detail and constructive feedback are appreciated more than words can say.

To my friends, many of whom I’m able to see while travelling, or directly work with while consulting, your friendship is what keeps me doing what I love.

And finally, to you the reader, this book was written for you, to help you set yourself up to live your life to the fullest, earn more money than you ever thought possible and to enjoy every working day of your life.

Once you’ve completed this book you’ll understand what it takes to become a consultant and you can start putting plans in place to move to full-time consulting.

Introduction

It’s a beautiful day here on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland and I have just returned from an early morning surf with the kids where the water was 25 degrees and the waves were a perfect 3 foot high. The lifeguards were just setting up as we were leaving and based on the amount of people out and about they’re going to have a busy day today looking after the local tourists.

It’s Monday morning and I’ve got a jam-packed schedule today, with teleconferences, documents to write and people to call. I am flying to Melbourne tomorrow, so I start calling the people I need to see while there.

I call one of my contacts in Melbourne to find he’s running late thanks to the never-reliable Melbourne public transport system.

He has a young family and he sounds so stressed. He left so early he didn’t get to see his kids this morning and they’ll be in bed by the time he returns home tonight.

I was in exactly the same position 9 years ago, fighting traffic every day in my rush to get to the office in time for the first meeting, then after a hectic day, trying to get home in time to see the kids before bed (I rarely made it home in time).

Seeing my friends and clients stuck in the rut has given me inspiration to write this book and help you break free from the 9 to 5 on a minimum wage and live life to the fullest while you still have time (and health) to do so.

Hi, my name is Ashton Wood, and I am a consultant to the IT and Telecommunications industry.

I’ve been in the industry for over 20 years and I assure you that there’s never been a better time to become a consultant.

I am currently consulting on 3 programmes of work and have been doing this type of work ever since I left full-time employment many years ago.

I travel interstate regularly and have met some of the most amazing people at work and during my travels.

During my conversations with people, something is resonating with every person… everyone wants to move from full-time employment to consulting work… and why wouldn’t you?

So, after much thought (and coaching by some of my closest friends) I decided to write this guide to assist those of you considering the leap into consulting.

The information here is REAL. This information is tried and tested and it works.

There’s a level of maturity that’s required to make the leap into consulting, The fact that you’re reading this, means that you’re ready for your next step in your career.

This book is compiled with two sections:

Parts 1 to 6 (the first 62 pages) covers everything you’ll need to know in order to become a successful consultant.

Part 7 (the remaining 64 pages) helps you refine your skills to be the best possible consultant in your chosen field.

It’s time for you to build the confidence and the comfort to move from full-time employment on the minimum wage, to consulting when and where you want, where you’ll become proficient at identifying the opportunities and aware of the traps for new players.

Throughout this guide I will refer to consultant as the type of role you will play in your newfound career.

Some people refer to this work as Freelancing, others call it Contracting.

No matter what you call it, consulting, freelancing or contracting, is an amazing way to earn a living.

For the sake of simplification, I’m going to refer to all types of services as consulting from here, but feel free to substitute consulting for freelancing or contracting if that term sits better with you.

A little about me

I have not always been a consultant. In fact I spent the first half of my professional career as an employee, working for large Telecommunications carriers.

I met my first ‘consultant’ in my first year of full-time employment.

At the time I was earning just over $27,000 per annum. My employer had an urgent requirement to implement a telephony system and had brought in a consultant to manage this for them. I got to know this person and learned that he was also earning $27,000 … but with one big difference…this was his MONTHLY income!

I was in awe at the value that one person could bring to an organisation. (I was also dreaming about all the things I could purchase if I was earning that sort of money each month!)

Over the years, I met many more consultants who were brought into organisations for their expertise.

Some were experts in technical solutions. Some worked on major bids. Others were project managers and some seemed to be overall generalists engaged on major customer accounts.

As I moved through the ranks of full-time employment, I realised that many of my major clients also used consultants within their business.

I couldn’t understand how a consultant could have such influence in an organisation that they were in for such a short amount of time. I have since learned the following very key ingredient that I want to share with you now:

The organisation that has hired you has reached a level of maturity where they are now seriously prepared to consider the recommendations you’ve been asked to provide, or are ready to deploy the service you’ve been asked to implement for them. Employees may have been trying for years to get the organisation to support this approach or project, but they may have had no success, not because the employees are incapable, but because the organisation needed to reach a level of maturity and needed to see this through someone else’s eyes, a ‘second opinion’ so to speak.

So they’re going to listen to your recommendations or advice, and they’re going to help you achieve what they’re paying you to do!

You obviously need to keep your end of the bargain and deliver on your promise, so setting your terms upfront is very important and we’ll talk about that later in this guide.

Part 1 - So Why Consult?

So now you know a little about me, let me take you on your journey to consulting.

There so many great reasons to consult, so I’ve picked the top 4 and will detail those for you.

1.You decide the projects or assignments you want to work on

When you begin your consulting business, you have the advantage of being able to choose which assignments and projects you want work on. If you’re in full-time work at the moment you’re probably being loaded to breaking point by your employer and finding that wherever you turn there are walls up that inhibit your ability to get the work done efficiently (be it with systems and/or processes).

Well imagine if you could choose what you were going to be involved in, and imagine if your client could assign other people assist you with navigating the systems and processes that have brought you to your knees on so many occasions.

Well the good news is, as a consultant, your client is paying you by the hour (or day) so they don’t want to see you locked up in data entry mode (unless that’s what they brought you in to do).

Naturally, you will want to take on the projects which will make you money. However, you will need to look at the big picture before agreeing to accept an assignment.

Using your consulting fees as a guideline, determine whether the time needed to complete the job will make you enough money to actually do a good job. In other words, will you feel rushed during this job in order to make the hourly rate you proposed? Do you see any parts of the project where there might be some extras that might cut into your profit? These are the questions you want to ask yourself as you consider taking on a new project.

2.You select the clients you want to work with

As your own boss, a specialist in your field, you also have the freedom to pick and choose who you want to work for. This is one of the major benefits.

The job may look enticing, but if you’re engaged by a hot-headed dictator who is more interested in starting world war 3 than getting the job done, you may re-consider a second assignment with them.

Similarly, if your previous engagement was enjoyable and amicable, you may feel more comfortable providing services to this type of professional.

Ethics

Since you are the owner of the consulting business, you are running the show. You have the right to say yes or no to a job. If a client is participating in something you feel is unethical or simply goes against your beliefs, then by all means, turn down the