The New Business of Consulting

The new edition of bestselling real-world guide to consultancy success, from the “Rock Star of Consulting” Alan Weiss  The second edition of  The Consulting Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Create and Expand a Seven-Figure Consulting Practice  remains the most comprehensive and practical guide to the consulting profession, from launch to high growth, from marketing to implementation. Legendary consultant, speaker, and bestselling author Alan Weiss shows you how to create an independent or boutique consulting practice and take it to seven-figure success. Step-by-step, this invaluable resource guides you through attracting clients, maximizing your value, and achieving your career goals.  In the decade since the first publication of  The Consulting Bible , an array of significant developments has dramatically impacted the consulting profession: shifts in social consciousness, the Covid-19 pandemic, tele-consulting and virtual meetings, the globalization of the economy, the growth of social media, and many more. This exhaustively revised new edition provides specific approaches and techniques for mastering the new consulting environment and turning volatility and disruption into unlimited opportunities. Designed to help you become the authority and expert that organizations turn to again and again, this book is your one-stop resource for:  Building a strong global brand that draws people to you Marketing remotely to reduce costs and allow for higher fees Mastering the latest implementation techniques Forging strong relationships with the buyers of a new generation Selecting the consulting methodology that best fits your requirements Writing proposals and creating testimonials and references Using advanced technology to sell and deliver your services Written for newcomers and veterans alike,  The Consulting Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Create and Expand a Seven-Figure Consulting Practice, Second Edition,  is essential reading for every solo consultant, entrepreneur, and principal of a small consulting firm.

UnAwesome is UnAcceptable. The Book of Business Awesome is designed as two short books put together—one read from the front and the other read from the back when flipped over. Covering key business concepts related to marketing, branding, human resources, public relations, social media, and customer service, The Book of Business Awesome includes case studies of successful businesses that gained exposure through being awesome and effective. This book provides actionable tools enabling readers to apply the concepts immediately to their own businesses. The flip side of the book, The Book of Business UnAwesome, shares the train-wreck stories of unsuccessful businesses and showcases what not to do. Key concepts include the power of peripheral referrals and how to create content for your «third circle» Explains how to re-recruiting your employees and re-court your customers Ensure that your business remains awesome, instead of unawesome, and apply these awesomely effective strategies to your business today.

A collection of the best thinking from one of the most innovative management consulting firms in the world For more than forty years, The Boston Consulting Group has been shaping strategic thinking in business. The Boston Consulting Group on Strategy offers a broad and up-to-date selection of the firm's best ideas on strategy with fresh ideas, insights, and practical lessons for managers, executives, and entrepreneurs in every industry. Here's a sampling of the provocative thinking you'll find inside: «You have to be the scientist of your own life and be astonished four times:at what is, what always has been, what once was, and what could be.» «The majority of products in most companies are cash traps . . . .[They] are not only worthless, but a perpetual drain on corporate resources.» «Use more debt than your competition or get out of the business.» «When information flows freely, reputation, more than reciprocity,becomes the basis for trust.» «As a strategic weapon, time is the equivalent of money, productivity,quality, even innovation.» «When brands become business systems, brand management becomes far too important to leave to the marketing department.» «The winning organization of the future will look more like a collection ofjazz ensembles than a symphony orchestra.» «Most of our organizations today derive from a model whose original purpose was to control creativity.» «Rather than being an obstacle, uncertainty is the very engine of transformation in a business, a continuous source of new opportunities.» «IP assets lack clear property lines. Every bit of intellectual property you can own comes with connections to other valuable innovations.»

Traditional retail is becoming increasingly volatile and challenged as a business model. Brick-and-mortar has shifted to online, while online is shifting into pop-up storefronts. Virtual stores in subway platforms and airports are offering new levels of convenience for harried commuters. High Street and Main Street are becoming the stuff of nostalgia. The Big Box is losing ground to new models that attract consumers through their most-trusted assistant—the smartphone. What’s next? What’s the future for you—a retailer—who is witnessing a tsunami of change and not knowing if this means grasping ahold of new opportunity or being swept away? The Retail Revival answers these questions by looking into the not-so-distant retail past and by looking forward into a future that will continue to redefine retail and its enormous effect on society and our economies. Massive demographic and economic shifts, as well as historic levels of technological and media disruption, are turning this once predictable industry—where “average” was king—into a sea of turbulent change, leaving consumer behavior permanently altered. Doug Stephens, internationally renowned consumer futurist, examines the key seismic shifts in the market that have even companies like Walmart and Procter & Gamble scrambling to cope, and explores the current and future trends that will completely change the way we shop. The Retail Revival provides no-nonsense clarity on the realities of a completely new retail marketplace— realities that are driving many industry executives to despair. But the future need not be dark. Stephens offers hope and guidance for any businesses eager to capitalize on these historic shifts and thrive. Entertaining and thought-provoking, The Retail Revival makes sense of a brave new era of consumer behavior in which everything we thought we knew about retail is being completely reimagined. Praise for The Retail Revival “It doesn’t matter what type of retail you do—if you sell something, somewhere, you need to read Doug Stephens’ The Retail Revival. Packed with powerful insights on the changing retail environment and what good retailers should be thinking about now, The Retail Revival is easy to read, well-organized and provides essential food for thought.” – Gregg Saretsky, President and CEO, WestJet “This book captures in sharp detail the deep and unprecedented changes driving new consumer behaviors and values. More importantly, it offers clear guidance to brands and retailers seeking to adapt and evolve to meet entirely new market imperatives for success.” —John Gerzema, Author of Spend Shift and The Athena Doctrine “The Retail Revival is a critical read for all marketing professionals who are trying to figure out what’s next in retail… Doug Stephens does a great job of explaining why retail has evolved the way it has, and the book serves as an important, trusted guide to where it’s headed next. ” —Joe Lampertius SVP, Shopper Marketing, Momentum Worldwide and Owner, La Spezia Flavor Market “Doug Stephens has proven his right to the moniker ‘Retail Prophet.’ With careful analysis and ample examples, the author makes a compelling case for retailers to adapt, change and consequently revive their connection with consumers. Stephens presents actionable recommendations with optimism and enthusiasm—just the spoonful of sugar we need to face the necessary changes ahead.” —Kit Yarrow, Ph.D., Consumer Psychologist; Professor, Golden Gate University; Co-Author, Gen BuY: How Tweens, Teens and Twenty-Somethings are Revolutionizing Retail &#

A thoroughly modern global business story In the spirit of James Clavell, China Fortunes is a vast and sweeping story that addresses one of the hottest topics of the day, Chinese business. From a chaotic start in China to an embezzling Chinese company president on the run in Manilla, this book follows the monetary ups and downs of Jack Davis, an American financier drawn to the great Asian nation by the wealth of opportunities that accompanied the opening of the country to outsiders. Traces the beginnings of China's entry into the industrial age, as it hesitantly embraced capitalism while enthusiastically chased foreign dollars Takes readers through the bond trading floors of Wall Street to the opaque world of investment boutiques, market crashes and business failures, IPOs, failing marriages, and multi-national hydro electric deals Written by a leading China businessman with deep connections in China and beyond Drawing on the experiences of one of the first western investment bankers to do business in China, this exciting tale brings you up close to the rising fortunes and risky business of the Middle Kingdom.

The fundamental and explosive changes in the U.S. economy and its business system from 1860 to 1920 continue to fascinate and engage historians, economists, and sociologists. While many disagreements persist about the motivations of the actors, most scholars roughly agree on the central shifts in technologies and markets that called forth big business. Recent scholarship, however, has revealed important new insights into the changing cultural values and sensibilities of Americans who lived during the time, on women in business, on the ties between the emerging corporations and other American institutions, on the nature of competition among giant firms, and on the dawn of modern advertising and consumerism. This vast accumulation of notable new work on the social concept and consequences of economic change in that era has prompted Glenn Porter to recast numerous portions of The Rise of Big Business, one of Harlan Davidson’s most successful titles ever, in this, the third edition. Those familiar with this classic text will appreciate the expanded coverage of topics beyond the fray of regulation and the political dimensions of the emergence of concentrated enterprise, namely the influence of the rise of big business on social history. An entirely new bank of photographs and illustrations rounds out the latest edition of our enduringly popular title, one perfect for supplementary reading in a variety of courses including the U.S. history survey, the history of American business, and specialized courses in social history and the Gilded Age.

"I had the privilege of working closely with Marvin and McKinsey for many years. This book makes Marvin come to life and perpetuates him as a role model." -Peter F. Drucker «A wonderful book about a wonderful man. In many ways, Marvin's McKinsey framed the hypotheses in our own search for excellence-for example, passion for values, belief in people as the prime resource, and willingness to let people experiment. As well as I thought I knew Marvin, however, this remarkable book, drawing on the collective memories of those who worked most closely with him, taught me a ton about how extraordinary the man really was and what made him that way. Many have called Drucker the man who invented management; I think history will conclude that both he and Marvin Bower share that pedestal.» -Bob Waterman, coauthor of In Search of Excellence «Marvin Bower became a legend, not just within McKinsey & Company, but within professional services and the business world more broadly. In everything he did and said, he embodied the professional approach and the importance of values. This book sheds remarkable insight on a remarkable man and on the power of constancy of purpose.» -Ian Davis, Worldwide Managing Director, McKinsey & Co. «It is as Marvin would have wanted it-simple, honest, fact-based, wonderful stories with a long-term perspective. An insightful read about the father of management consulting.» -Lois Juliber, retired COO, Colgate-Palmolive «This book provides fascinating insight into the early days of modern management consulting. It is an extremely enlightening look at the origin of one of America's most important professions and one of America's most innovative leaders.» -Thomas H. Lee, founder, Chairman, and President, Thomas H. Lee Partners L.P.

Consulting For Dummies, 2nd Edition includes a reorganization and narrower focus of the topic, with new or updated information that delves into the specifics of running your own consulting business. There is greater emphasis on the business of consulting, along with financial and legal issues involved in setting up a consulting business, deepening coverage of consulting proposals, and entirely new chapters on higher-level consulting issues that more-established consultants are demanding.

These days, more than ever, you need an edge to win the job, the sale, or the contract that you want. And once you have it, keeping it is part of the job. You're always selling yourself, getting re-hired everyday with everything you do and say. The Art of Business Seduction elevates your game by allowing you to recognize what's essential in getting noticed for the right reasons and by the right people. You'll get powerful tools you can use immediately, including A Strategic Communication plan The no-fail, four-step L-WAR process (Listen, Watch, Anticipate, React) Real-life exercises you can implement over thirty consecutive days that will then become a winning part of your routine and lifestyle Your secret weapon in today's business struggle, The Art of Business Seduction peels away the hype to give you the unadorned facts on what will drive your continued, consistent success.

Magnetic: The Art of Attracting Business is a look at how consistently successful businesses are able to attract a steady and ever-increasing flow of customers. This innovative text examines a range of simple, powerful strategies that businesses of any size or type can use to attract new customers. The key is to do those things that harness the power of the single most important factor in buying decisions: positive word of mouth and referrals from happy existing customers. Magnetic businesses are intentional, strategic, and focused on creating positive experiences that become the stories their customers tell about them. Whether on the internet or face to face, it's what satisfied customers say about you that is the most powerful driver of growth for your business. Becoming Magnetic and attracting business, truly is an art, rather than a science, because every business is different, and uses a unique combination of strategy, people, and purpose to achieve success and growth. There is no one-size-fits-all formula, but with creativity and focus, any business can create a powerful revenue growth engine that continuously works to build and sustain success. Learn how to match successful growth strategies with your people, purpose, and culture to create your own unique 'magnetism' to attract business. Discover the simple, powerful keys to growth used by a range of market leading businesses, from a snowboard manufacturing startup company and a website design professional to a minor league baseball team and an family owned upscale grocery store. All of them utilize ideas that you can put to work immediately in your business to become Magnetic. Create a magnetic mindset in your people that leads not only to happier customers who refer others to you, but to more satisfied employees who help attract and recruit great new employees to keep your momentum going. Simplify and clarify how you think about your business to have your entire team become more focused, efficient, and effective in doing those few vitally important things that matters most in driving growth and sustaining success.