Finding Your Way in the Consulting Jungle

Designed as the go-to reference for managing a consulting business, The Business of Consulting is candid, practical, and eminently useful. Fine-tuned to address the changes in today’s business environment, this vital resource outlines the basics for managing a consulting practice and shows how to: Develop a business plan Market your business Charge for your services Build a client relationship Grow the business Ensure your continued professional growth Make money in the profession

The Complete, Authoritative Guide to Getting Started in Tax Consulting Tax consulting and return preparation is a fast-paced, dynamic industry-one that promises high earning potential. In this book, tax advisor Gary Carter shows you just what it takes to become an in-demand tax consultant. You'll discover how to break into the tax business, even with relatively limited education and training, and build a path to your new career with Carter's five-step formula for success. Brimming with expert advice from tax professionals and featuring up-to-the-minute coverage of everything from qualifications and employment opportunities to Internet resources, Getting Started in Tax Consulting shows you how to: * Assess your personality fit for the tax profession * Formulate your business plan for starting a tax practice * Find a niche for your tax services * Choose between a sole proprietorship, a partnership, a C corporation, an S corporation, and a limited liability company * Set your fees and market your services * Perform research-an essential skill of the tax professional * Make the IRS your partner and advisor-not your adversary * Start a Web-based tax service

The Consulting Veterinary Nurse is an invaluable source of information for all veterinary nurses setting up and conducting their own nursing clinics in small animal practice. From the basics of setting up the consulting room to running and marketing individual clinics, this book provides a comprehensive coverage of the role of the consulting veterinary nurse. A large section of the book details specific clinics run by nurses, including nutritional assessments, behavioural clinics, puppy parties, seasonal information campaigns, senior pet clinics and medical clinics for a full range of conditions from arthritis and dental problems to epilepsy and cancer. A chapter specifically on rabbit clinics is also included. Written by an experienced senior veterinary nurse, this is a vital guide for all veterinary nurses seeking to develop their consulting role and contribute effectively to the long-term success of their practice. KEY FEATURES Provides a comprehensive guide to the role of the consulting veterinary nurse Details specific nutritional, medical and behavioural clinics run by nurses Includes advice on presentation, marketing and communicating with clients Discusses client compliance and internal procedure and protocol Contains sample diet history sheets and unit conversion charts for use in practice Endorsed by the British Veterinary Nursing Association

The Practice of Professional Coaching Change is the life-blood of consulting just as organizations endure only through successful change. The reality of this mutual need lies at the heart of what consulting is all about. Consultants solve problems created by the powerful forces of change in an organization's environment and in so doing, create change themselves. The Practice of Professional Consulting is a comprehensive examination of what has been called «the world's newest profession.» In this practical resource Edward Verlander offers an overview of the industry and includes the most useful processes, tools, and skills used by successful consultants to produce solutions for their clients. The book also reveals why consulting is a growing and attractive career option. The best practices used by leading consulting firms are included in the book as well as the capabilities skillful consultant use in each stage of engagement. Verlander also recommends ways to ensure a consultant can solve a client's problems in a systematic, professional way. At the very heart of the book is the emphasis he puts on what is needed to become a truly trusted consultant. Filled with a wealth of must-have information from a wide range of consulting professionals, the book includes: a model of the consulting cycle; a diagnostic instrument for assessing consulting roles; ideas of how to develop political intelligence to navigate client organizations; tools for managing consulting meetings, risk assessment, and skills transfer; techniques in communications, emotional intelligence, presentations, and listening; and much more. Written for anyone wishing to start a consulting business, new employees at established consulting firms, facilitators of consulting training programs, and faculty at business schools, this important resource provides an easy way to understand the stages, roles, and tasks of consulting found in any type of consulting and it provides simple and easy-to-use techniques and templates for implementation.

Provide organized, efficient, relevant consulting with lasting value Maximizing the Value of Consulting is an indispensable, practical guide for managing, measuring, and delivering the results that make internal and external consulting a lasting value to clients and the company. Sponsored by the ROI Institute and the Association of Internal Management Consultants, this book provides a roadmap to relevance for consultants operating in the increasingly fast-paced, changing, dynamic environment. Readers will learn how to use resources properly and manage the investment efficiently, while truly connecting to the business, securing appropriate levels of commitment, and providing adequate levels of support. Detailed coverage includes guidance toward calculating the value of consulting in terms that executives understand, including business impact and ROI, and using the appropriate tools to show how things are working throughout the process. Whether organizations are using internal or external consultants, or both, consultants can provide better value to the company. Consultants are needed to provide advice, support, and insight into the processes undertaken to improve the business, and integrate the input of different functional units into a more streamlined strategy. This book is designed to help consultants provide the utmost value to clients by maximizing organization, efficiency, and ultimately, ROI. Manage for value with better organization and cost control Set objectives at multiple levels to deliver useful results Measure implementation, impact, ROI, and intangibles Use final results to drive appropriate actions, creating lasting value The skyrocketing need for internal and external consultants will continue, in almost every functional area ranging from HR and technology, to auditing and risk management. Maximizing the Value of Consulting provides a manual for relevant, value-driven consulting, with world-renowned expert insight.

In much the same way that Good to Great uncovered hitherto hidden secrets of highly successful companies, Navarro’s Always a Winner uses extensive research to reveal the overriding importance of learning how to forecast and strategically manage the business cycle for competitive advantage. In doing so, this book provocatively explores a critical aspect of successful management virtually untapped by the existing strategy literature. —Dan DiMicco, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Nucor Steel « Always a Winner is an important and timely guide to thriving in challenging economic times. Prof. Navarro deftly bridges the academic and business communities, showing corporate leaders how to read economic tea-leaves to anticipate business cycles. His „Master Cyclist“ credo offers many practical tips and real-world case studies for steering companies through turbulent economic seas.» —Mark Greene, Ph.D, Chief Executive Officer, FICO (Fair Isaac Corp.) «Navarro’s Always a Winner shows why forecasting the economy with a ruler can be lethal for corporate executives and money managers. He demonstrates how to skillfully anticipate the ups and downs of the economy and successfully navigate through them. The current economic crisis clearly demonstrates why this book is so important to have on your bookshelf.» —Mark Zandi, Chief Economist and Cofounder of Moody’s Economy.com «Always a Winner is required reading for every entrepreneur, money manager, and independent investor hoping to outperform the market and retire one day.» —Mark T. Brookshire, Founder of StockTrak.com and WallStreetSurvivor.com « Navarro’s wealth of real world examples will show you how to make both economic recessions and recoveries invaluable allies in executing competitive corporate strategies. A must read!» —Lakshman Achuthan, Managing Director, Economic Cycle Research Institute Why recessions are far more dangerous than any 10 competitors Most companies make a lot of money during economic expansions-and lose a lot of money during recessions. That is the way it has always been. That is the way it need not always be. This book will show you how to «always be a winner» over the course of the entire business cycle-not just when economic times are good. To do this job, this book will arm you with all the strategies and tactics and forecasting tools you will need to profitably manage your organization through the business cycle seasons-from the best of boom times to the worst of recessionary times. In this book, you will learn to Forecast movements and key recessionary turning points in the business cycle Implement a set of powerful «battle-tested» strategies over the course of the business cycle Rebuild your organization with a strategic business cycle orientation and thereby make it much more recession-resistant and resilient over the longer term The forecasting tools and management strategies revealed in this book have been developed over the last five years by the author-the world's leading expert on managing the business cycle for competitive advantage. By learning to strategically manage the business cycle, your organization will be able to create a powerful competitive and sustainable advantage over its rivals and thereby find the grail sought by every executive team in the world-superior financial performance. In this way, Always a Winner provides you with the in-depth insight and practical advice you need to help your company survive and thrive in the increasingly risky conditions of the 21st century.

The history of consulting dates back to the original ‘intervention’ of the serpent in the Garden of Eden, and today's consultants have just as dubious a reputation. They are tempted by flattery and over-assessment of their abilities, and run the risks of uncertainty, responsibility without authority and loss of control. In order to steer a middle course, they must understand their own intention as consultants. Fearless Consulting clearly demonstrates that, in spite of the many risks and temptations, consultants can approach their profession and clients fearlessly, and offers a range of philosophical inspirations for readers as well as specific intervention models and practical methodologies.

This Third Edition to Peter Block's Flawless Consulting addresses business changes and new challenges since the second edition was written ten years ago. It tackles the challenges next-generation consultants face, including more guidance on how to ask better questions, dealing with difficult clients, working in an increasingly virtual world, how to cope with complexities in international consulting, case studies, and guidelines on implementation. Also included are illustrative examples and exercises to help you cement the guides offered.

Praise for Nonprofit Consulting Essentials «The relationship between consulting and nonprofits has never been more important. Both theoretically sophisticated and practically useful, Cagney's research will be of great use to anyone interested in improving nonprofit institutions, deriving the greatest benefit from consultants, and understanding what really goes on inside large organizations.» —Christopher McKenna, MBA program director and reader in business history and strategy, Said Business School, University of Oxford; and fellow, Brasenose College, Oxford, United Kingdom «Everyone seems to have a different idea of what it means to consult or be a consultant, especially in the charitable sector. Finally, we have a book, Nonprofit Consulting Essentials, that really delves into the assumptions and truths and the roles and responsibilities of consultants.» —Paulette V. Maehara, president and CEO, Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) International, Arlington, Virginia «This really is an essential guide to nonprofit consulting and capacity building in the current climate of dramatic and discontinuous change. Whether you are just entering the sector or looking to refresh your skills, this book is a must-read.» —Brian Fraser, lead provocateur, Jazzthink, Vancouver, Canada «This book will be an important resource for nonprofit professionals who wish to become consultants and for those consultants who want to improve their craft.» —Patrick M. Rooney, executive director, The Center on Philanthropy, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana «If you're a consultant in the nonprofit sector, or if you retain a consultant—if you're even thinking about hiring a consultant—read Nonprofit Consulting Essentials. There's a lot of practical value packed into the pages of this groundbreaking book.» —Mal Warwick, founder and chairman, Mal Warwick Associates, Berkeley, California; and author, How to Write Successful Fundraising Letters «I have been in the YMCA movement for 35 years and have used consultants for technology to financial development to coaching and more, but I have never truly understood the role and benefits of using consultants for nonprofits until I read this book.» —Gregory O'Brien, president and CEO emeritus, Valley of the Sun YMCA, Phoenix, Arizona

In Beyond Booked Solid, Michael Port returns with new tactics for growing your business even bigger. Port's Book Yourself Solid was a huge hit among professional service providers and small business owners who learned to master the art of attracting clients and keeping them happy. In this book, he helps your business keep growing by taking the next step, beyond booked solid. That means maximizing your business while working less and earning more. This is the ultimate guide for your growing business.