Consultant Reading Room
Recent Articles: The Economy and Its Impact on Becoming a Consultant
NEW! The Hireless Recovery. Harvard Business Review post from July 21 by Michael Schrage about business’s “overwhelming lack of desire to hire.”
Entrepreneur or Unemployed? Column for the NY Times editorial page by former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, published June 1, 2010, looking at recent unemployment and job-start numbers, particularly as it relates to a consultant.
High Unemployment: Get Used to It. Posting from NPR’s Planet Money blog that focuses on the May 2010 jobs report.
Temporary Workers and the 21st Century Economy. Link to Wall Street Journal article by Jody Greenstone Miller from November 2009 about a trend that seems to be gaining momentum, reinforcing the idea that more and more people are embracing portfolio careers as consultants.
Making the Decision to Consult
The Four Delusions of Entrepreneurs: Interesting blog post by Jonathan Fields about the realities behind entrepreneurial motivations. If you like this article, take a look at his blog, http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/.
Overviews: Starting a Consulting Business
From Entrepreneur magazine: Excerpted from the magazine’s Consulting Business start-up guide.
Setting Up Your Business
How to Choose the Right Legal Structure. Article from Inc.com that helps consultants look strategically at the best legal structure for their business. There’s also a chart over on the Download page that compares the different structures.
Marketing Basics
Copywriting 101. Great article by Brian Clark of Copyblogger on how to explain why people should do business with you.
Bencivenga Bullets. Gary Bencivenga is one of the most successful copywriters of all time (particularly in the area of direct mail). In addition to printing out these tips, consider signing up for his e-mail list for when he updates the tips.
Social Media Strategies
NEW! More small businesses use Twitter, Facebook to promote. USA Today article from July 22 on small businesses (including consultants ) for marketing and other functions.
