Congratulations on embarking on this exciting journey! Starting a consulting business is a thrilling time, but it can also be overwhelming. That’s why it’s essential to have a solid plan in place to set yourself up for success.
In the first 90 days, you have the opportunity to lay the foundation for your consulting business and set yourself up for growth and profitability.
By following a few key steps, you can start your business off on the right foot and watch it flourish.
So, let me share with you some tried and tested consulting business growth strategies that have worked for me and can work for you too.
Create a simple business plan that outlines your short-term goals and strategies for achieving those goals.
The first step to starting your consulting business is to create a simple business plan that outlines your short-term goals and strategies for achieving those goals. This document should be no more than 1-2 pages in length, so it’s easy to read and understand.
Before you start down this path, this is a good time to take a hard look at who you are.
When I first started my tax consulting business, I developing a simple business plan to address the following key questions:
- What skills do I have that are marketable?
- Who is my target audience?
- What pricing strategy will I use?
- How will I promote my services?
- What is my initial budget (including marketing expenses)?
- What are my goals for the first 3 months, 6 months and 12 months?
By creating a short-term plan, I was able to stay focused and maintain momentum as I worked towards achieving my business objectives.
Build a brand identity and optimized website before you start a marketing campaign.
Once you’ve figured out the type of clients you want to attract, the next step is building an online presence for your business. You need a professional logo and brand visual kit as good first impression for potential clients.
From my own experience, I’ve seen how having a professional logo and brand visual kit that accurately reflects your services and audience can make a lasting impression on potential clients.
Additionally, having a well-designed website can instill confidence in visitors and make them more likely to contact you or make a purchase. By investing in your brand identity and website early on, you can set the stage for attracting and converting your first 10 clients and beyond.
Define your process, tools and workflow.
It’s really important that you define your process before diving into the actual work because it will make things easier down the road when you’re trying to figure out how much time each task takes, what tools are needed for each step of the process and how long it takes for things like reporting or billing clients.
Once defined, these processes should be documented in some way so that they can be easily referenced by others who might need access (your team members).
Be prepared for a learning curve and know that it’s normal.
As someone who has started their own consulting business, I can tell you that it’s important to give yourself time to build your client base.
In fact, based on my experience, I recommend giving yourself a year to really go all in and see if you can get at least 10 clients.
In the first few weeks and months of starting your consulting work, you’ll likely encounter many challenges and unexpected problems. It’s important to acknowledge these feelings of overwhelm and doubt so that you can address them head-on. However, don’t let them stop you from pursuing your goals and continuing on your journey as a business owner.
Remember, building a successful consulting business takes time, patience, and perseverance.
Take the time to develop a solid foundation for your consulting business, and then trust that in 90 days, you’ll be able to make progress toward achieving your goals.
The first 90 days of starting a consulting business are the most important. If you don’t have a solid foundation in place, it will be difficult to achieve your goals later on.
When I first started my tax consulting service, I spent 3 months building up my brand identity and other 9 months running a simple marketing strategy. Until after those 12 months had passed before implementing any other marketing strategies (such as SEO).
I’ve found that this approach works best for me because it allows me time away from what could potentially become an overwhelming workload if I were constantly trying new things or tweaking existing ones during these early stages.
Your journey starts here.
The first 90 days of your consulting business are crucial to laying a strong foundation for future success. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed and doubt yourself, but don’t let those feelings hold you back.
In addition to the above, it’s important to remember that the first 90 days of your consulting business can be full of magic.
This is the time when you’ll start to see the fruits of your labor and the momentum that you’ve built up begin to pay off. Use this time wisely to establish yourself in your niche, build strong relationships with clients, and develop a solid business strategy. With the right mindset, resources, and support, you can make the most of these first 90 days and set your business up for long-term success.
If you’re struggling with creating a brand image or website, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. As an experienced brand and web designer, I’m always here to offer advice and guidance.
Together, we can ensure that your consulting business thrives and grows.
