BECOMING A CONSULTANT

After 10 years or more in the workforce, most people have gathered a level of experience and knowledge that is valuable to someone else, somewhere, some time.

If you organise and present yourself properly, there is a good chance you can start earning as a consultant.

You may well be an expert; but you need to convey that to potential clients.

You need to recognise your specialty - but don't put yourself on a pedestal. A consultant needs to demonstrate their awareness of current research and others in their field. They need to show that they are enthusiastic and keen to keep up to date, that they are willing to work with others and are good at their job without appearing to be bragging. Nevertheless, it is important to show confidence in yourself and your abilities.

You can sell your expertise through social media by writing for blogs, websites, and maintaining a presence and updating your profile on social media sites. Whilst many consultants might write and send regular free newsletters to their clients and would-be clients offering information or advice about a particular topic and letting the client know what they are doing and any updates to their services, you might also consider a subscription based newsletter so that you can make an income out of your newsletters. To do this, you would obviously have to provide some premium advice relating to your area of expertise in each newsletter.

Some experts write for magazines, newsletters, blogs or e-books. You may (for example) write a series of eBooks on different topics and convert them to PDF files. You could then use a secure download service installed on your own computer and sell your e-books yourself, or you could use a more complete service whereby a third party markets and sells your e-books for you for a small commission. The latter option would expose you to a wider audience, particularly if you are just setting out.

As well as e-books, you might consider writing online courses to sell your expertise. You could, of course, include your e-books as part of the learning guide. You could provide your participants with self-assessment tests as part of the course so that they are able to check their own progress without you needing to spend time doing this for them.

Related to short courses and e-books are web seminars, or webinars. These are set up so that you can conduct a seminar live over the internet and talk about a particular topic. You can advise clients or potential clients of a date and time for the seminar and those who wish to hear what you have to say must pay to gain access. There is computer software available which allows you to host webinars and charge for access. Your viewers can also ask you questions in real time so you can respond to those during your presentation.