All about The Computer Consultant's Workbook
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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION 1

1 ARE YOU READY FOR CONSULTING? 5

What Do Consultants Do? Why Clients Use Consultants. Consulting Myths and Realities. Do You Have the Credentials It Takes to Succeed? Where Will You Find Your Clients? Do You Have a Consulting Personality? When Consulting May Be a Mistake.

2 TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS 47

Facts About Sole Proprietorship. Facts About Partnership. Facts About Incorporation. Facts About Consulting as an Employee. Common Questions About the Impact of Section 1706. Give Your Business a Name. Business Licenses. Setting Up an Accounting System. Keeping Out of Trouble With the IRS. Business Property Taxes. Sales Taxes. Deductible Business Expenses. Accounting for Software Purchases. The Home Office Deduction. How Much Tax Will You Really Pay? Office and Business Equipment Questions. Insuring Your Business. Types of Business Insurance. How to Establish Credit With Vendors.

3 HOW TO SET YOUR RATE 81

Fixed Bids. Hourly Rates. Retainers. What are Today's Consultants Charging? Set Your Own Rate. Billing Extras. Payment Schedules. Taking Credit Cards. Cut Rates and Discounts. When and How to Raise Your Rate.

4 HOW TO FIND CLIENTS 115

Develop a Marketing Plan. Marketing Principles for Consultants. Sharpen Your Marketing Message. The Power of Word of Mouth. Which Marketing Technique is for You? How to Network Without Being a Jerk. Newspaper Advertising. How to Cultivate Your Existing Contacts. Giving Talks. Classes and Seminars. How to Run an Inexpensive Public Relations Campaign. Promote Yourself to "Expert" Writing Articles. Newsletters. What are Effective Marketing Materials? Cold Calling. What do You Send When the Prospect Says, "Send Me Some Literature?"

5 BROKERED COMPUTER CONSULTING 163

What is Brokered Consulting? Can You Work Through a Broker? What Can Go Wrong? How to Ensure A Consulting Firm is Reputable. How to Get the Most Out of Being A W-2 Contractor. What to Expect When Dealing with Brokers. Contract Consulting Questions. Broker Contract Clauses and What They Mean. The Broker's Eye View.

6 HOW TO WIN CONTRACTS 185

How to Improve Your Listening Skills. Becoming Aware of Incompatible Techie Communication Protocols. How to Follow-Up After First Contact. The First Meeting With a Prospect. Determining the Problem to be Solved. Selling Yourself at the Interview. Starting the Clock. Identifying and Responding to the Prospect's Reservations. Do You Really Need This Client? Do You Need a Formal Proposal? When the Client Insists on a Specification. After the First Meeting. Closing the Sale.

7 NEGOTIATE YOUR INDEPENDENT CONSULTING CONTRACT 221

Who Supplies the Contract? Don't Be Afraid to Negotiate. Principles of Negotiation. What Does a Contract Define? Contract Clauses and What They Mean

8 BE A SUCCESS ON THE JOB 237

How to Satisfy Your Client. Helping the Client Prepare. Developing the Consulting Mentality. Ethical Considerations. Real Consultants Ask Lots of Questions. How to Handle Mistakes. Should You Charge for Fixing Your Own Mistakes? The Perils of Long-Term Contracts. Don't Mix Business with pleasure. How to Make Sure You Get Paid. The Mechanics of Billing Your Clients. Common Payment Problems and What to Do About Them. Maintaining the Client Relationship After the Job is Over.

APPENDIX A: BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS BASICS 265

APPENDIX B: ICCA STANDARD FORM CONTRACT 269

INDEX 272

What's My Niche? Evaluate Your Credentials. Who Is Your Client? Do You Have a Consultant's Personality? Are You an Employee or an Independent Contractor? How Good is your Business Name? Tax Checklist. Taking Care of Business Checklist. Fixed Bid or Hourly? Determine the Going Rate. Double Check Your Rate Against the Rule of Thumb. Calculate Your Expenses. Determine Your Net Income. Sharpen Your Marketing Message. Jump-Start Your Marketing Efforts. Can You Work Through a Broker? Check Your Brokered Consulting Contract . Rate Your Listening Skills. What You Have to Find Out at the First Meeting . Clarify Vague Symptoms. Contract Checklist. Should You Charge for Correcting the Error? Are You Getting Sucked In?

Why Clients Use Consultants. Facts About Sole Proprietorship. Facts About Partnership. Facts About Incorporation. Section 1706 Of The Tax Reform Act Of 1986. How To Maintain Your Independence. How To Protect Yourself When Making Fixed Bids. How To Schedule Payments. How To Improve Your Word Of Mouth. How To Network Without Being A Jerk. How To Get An Article Written About Your Business. How To Format A Press Release. How To Improve Your Visibility With Public Speaking. How To Get An Article Published In The Trade Press. Newsletter Tips. What Literature to Send to Prospects. The Consultant From Hell, Broker Version. The Client From Hell. Principles Of Negotiation. What Does A Contract Define? Code Ownership Options. How To Provide Fair Guarantees. Safeguards Against Nonpayment . Handling Bugs. How To Satisfy Your Client. Legitimate Questions You Can And Must Ask. How To Handle Nonpayment.

A Letter Announcing a Rate Increase. Keep-in-Touch Letter. Press Release. Why You do Better with an Hourly Rate. A Sample Resume for Brokered Consulting. "Nice to Meet You" Letter. Sample Proposal. A Portion of a Specification. First Meeting Follow-Up Letter. Letter of Agreement. First Day Checklist. Sample Invoice.

Niches and Lifestyle. Money Needed to Begin Consulting. Real Consulting Rates. Credit Card Processing Fees. Marketing Strategies by Niche. Marketing Techniques and the Personalities that Go With Them. Hourly Rate Consulting vs. Regular Salaried Employee Consulting. Proposal vs. Specification. Employee vs. Consultant Attitudes.

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