Gigsulting: A Start Up Guide For Independent Consultants

Your roadmap to transitioning from top consulting firm to high earning independent (freelance) management consultant

What you'll learn

The definition of Independent (or Freelance) Management Consulting as well as key industry trends and growth drivers

How to grow your business with techniques that maximize your personal billable hours and rate

Important start up topics related to self-employment and consulting as a business

How to scale your business (yes you can scale as an independent!) by moving beyond billable hours and achieving life changing income!

How to successfully run your business, including developing a constant income stream, networking and generating leads, selling yourself, negotiating, and more

Requirements

The only pre-requisite is an interest in learning about what it takes to successfully launch and thrive as an independent (freelance) management consultant

Description

The $1 trillion management consulting ecosystem continues to evolve with the emergence of new and exciting segments. One of the fastest growing segments is Independent (or “freelance”) Management Consulting. This segment is comprised of high caliber experienced professionals who have trained with the world’s leading consulting firms (think McKinsey, BCG, the Big Four, Accenture, etc.) and who are now launching their own businesses in search of greater flexibility and higher incomes.One of the key challenges people face as they enter the freelance segment is the lack of a roadmap to guide the career transition. Gigsulting: A Start Up Guide for Independent Consultants is a course purpose built to help professionals navigate the transition from traditional consulting firm setting to a viable independent career.The creator of the course, Chris Sanders, has more than 20 years of experience in management consulting including 12+ years working with two top consulting firms and more than 10 years of experience operating as an independent consultant. He designed this course based on his own experience as well as the insights he gained from coaching numerous professionals on their transition to an independent career. The course is comprised of 45 mini lectures, each of which is between ~2-5 minutes in length, and covers three broad areas. The first focuses on "Starting Up", which includes two “checklists” of things you’ll need to do or consider when launching your business. The first checklist covers Consulting and includes topics such as defining and pricing your services, understanding various engagement types, contracting, and more. The second checklist covers self-employment and includes topics such as setting up a business entity, insurance and tax considerations, and more.The second area focuses on "Running the Business." This section includes topics such as channels to market, developing a constant income stream, networking, selling yourself, proposing and negotiating, and more.The third area focuses on "Growing and Scaling." This section includes strategies to grow by maximizing personal billable hours and or rate. Additionally, the training provides five strategies to help you move beyond billable hours and scale– yes you can scale as an independent!We invite you to take this course today and begin your journey to a successful and sustainable independent management consulting career.

Overview

Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 What is Independent Management Consulting

Lecture 2 Statistics, growth drivers, and challenges

Lecture 3 Course objectives, organization, and target audience

Lecture 4 About the instructor

Section 2: Starting Up: Self Employment Checklist

Lecture 5 Three professionals you should hire ASAP

Lecture 6 Establishing a business entity

Lecture 7 Banking

Lecture 8 Insurance

Lecture 9 Bookkeeping

Lecture 10 Taxes

Lecture 11 Personal finance considerations

Lecture 12 Equipment, apps, and misc.

Section 3: Starting Up: Consulting Checklist

Lecture 13 Defining your services

Lecture 14 Engagement types

Lecture 15 Consulting roles and project intensity

Lecture 16 Pricing your services

Lecture 17 Legal contracts

Lecture 18 Company identity

Lecture 19 Marketing brochure

Lecture 20 Other templates for start up

Lecture 21 One page business plan

Section 4: Running the Business: Channels to Market

Lecture 22 Overview of channels to market

Lecture 23 Developing a constant income stream

Lecture 24 Indirect channel deeper dive

Section 5: Running the Business: Generating Leads

Lecture 25 Two key strategies for generating leads

Lecture 26 Intro to networking

Lecture 27 Networking- a real example

Lecture 28 Activating your network

Lecture 29 Intro to digital platforms

Section 6: Running the Business: Selling and Negotiating

Lecture 30 Selling yourself- 10 value props that resonate

Lecture 31 Client proposals- 2 key scenarios

Lecture 32 Negotiating- rate and term considerations

Section 7: Running the Business: Delivering Services and Admin

Lecture 33 Delivering your services- 7 "must do's"

Lecture 34 Invoicing and collecting

Lecture 35 Tax forms and more

Section 8: Growing the Business: Maximizing Billable Hours

Lecture 36 Incremental growth

Lecture 37 Incremental growth strategies- Personal billable hours

Section 9: Scaling the Business: Growing Beyond Billable Hours

Lecture 38 Exponential growth- moving beyond billable hours

Lecture 39 Strategies to scale- Thought leader model

Lecture 40 Strategies for scale- Indirect channel partner model

Lecture 41 Strategies for scale- Collective model

Lecture 42 Strategies for scale- Commissions model

Lecture 43 Strategies for scale- Agency model

Lecture 44 Strategies for scale- Consulting firm model

Section 10: Wrap Up

Lecture 45 Wrap up

This course is purpose built for professionals who are making the career transition from traditional consulting firm to an independent career.,Those who have not worked with a top consulting firm but who possess an entrepreneurial mindset and a desire to work as an independent will also find value in this course.