How Do I Begin Corporate Consulting?

To begin corporate consulting, first determine precisely which business niche you intend to focus on. Examples may include management, sales leadership, human resources or technology. Whichever niche you choose, be certain that you have adequate knowledge and experience in this area so that you can provide the best consulting to businesses. It will also be necessary to properly structure your consulting business. You will need to establish contacts within the business community to whom you will advertise and provide services.

Some jurisdictions require consultants to obtain licensing or other certification before starting a consulting business. This may include taking additional courses before being allowed to provide corporate consulting to others. Check your local laws to determine whether or not such applies to you.

Before deciding to enter corporate consulting as a career, you must have particular value that you can share with other professionals. Although you may be a new corporate consultant, your knowledge and experience in the niche you intend to focus on should be fairly extensive. Carefully hone your skills by reading books, attending symposiums and enrolling in courses that will help you become an expert in the niche that you have chosen to focus on.

In addition to concentrating on becoming a consultant, you must also focus on structuring a solid business. To help you get started, draft a business plan detailing whether or not you will operate as a sole proprietor, a corporation or another type of business entity. A good business plan should also detail your business approach, including how you intend to compete with other corporate consultants for business, as well as how you intend to overcome any possible barriers in your business. Detail a full corporate analysis of your business, including how your bookkeeping will be handled, your long- and short-term business goals, and how you will grow your business. After completing a business plan, file the appropriate paperwork to legally establish your corporate consulting business.

Advertising your corporate consulting services involves networking with business that may need your expertise. Attending business mixers, joining local service groups and becoming more directly involved with the business community are important. Your people skills must, therefore, be tightly polished as you want to present yourself in the best light possible. In addition to face-to-face networking, join online networking organizations and use social media tools to connect with business representatives who may need your corporate consulting services.