This document outlines steps for becoming a consultant, starting with assessing personal suitability and identifying a consulting field based on skills and experience. It emphasizes the importance of creating a comprehensive business plan, which should cover business setup, environment, marketing, operations, and finances. Additionally, it offers resources for further assistance in launching and growing a consulting business.

1. By Andréa Coutu
Consulting
Want to become a consultant?
Andréa Coutu
Consultant Journal

2. Getting
STARTED
• Ready to start your own business and become a consultant?
• You’ve made it past the first hurdle – choosing a business.
• Now, to make your dream come true and become a consultant,
you need to set up shop.

3. Got the consulting
SPIRIT?
• Before becoming a independent consultant,
consider whether you’re really suited to it.
• Think about whether you’d enjoy working
from home — or whether you should rent a
desk or office.
• Doing a personal inventory is a great way to
assess your consulting potential. (We have
one called Discover Your Inner Consultant.)

4. Choose your consulting
FIELD
Identify what kind
of consultant you
want to be
Take inspiration
from your job
and work history
Look online
and in books
for ideas

5. Doing a personal
INVENTORY
List your
skills &
experience
Think about hobbies,
interests, work history,
knowledge, volunteer
and work experience.
Group together
common themes.

6. Finding a recurring
THEME
• Look at your skills, experience and your local
industry and market – does anything stand out?
• Consider existing businesses – can you fill a
market gap, specialize or go global?
• Could you deliver better, more responsive or
higher value consulting than others?
• Can you add value by bundling products,
adding extras or cross-selling?

7. Building your
BUSINESS PLAN
• Once you've figured out what kind of
consultant you want to be, you need to
figure out how to turn your idea into a
profitable business.

8. Key business plan
CONTENT

9. Key business plan
CONTENT
Business setup – how
you'll operate – as a sole
proprietor, partnership,
corporation…

10. Key business plan
CONTENT
Business environment –
the laws, competitors,
trends and other
influences you face

11. Key business plan
CONTENT
Marketing – how you’ll
attract and keep clients

12. Key business plan
CONTENT
Operations – how you’ll
run your business

13. Key business plan
CONTENT
Finance Finance – how much money
you’ll need to start, run and
grow your business

14. Making the next
MOVE
• Made it through all these steps?
• Completed some basic research?
• Done your homework?
• You’re ready to launch your consulting business
– and start working from home or an office!

15. FREE HELPfor your consulting business
• Get help on the way!
• Visit ConsultantJournal.com for free tips, tools
and articles – whether you want to become a
consultant or grow an existing business