I’ve discovered a very nice piece by Richard S. Tallent : Rules for Successful Consultants, to Summarize
- Take care of business first.
- Never EVER lower your hourly rate.
- Never bid lump-sum on creative work.
- Always have face time in competitive bids.
- Don’t be the proverbial barefoot cobbler’s kids.
- Differentiate.
- Never send Office documents by email.
- Consider not charging for client meetings.
- Success = Version 2.0.
- Your employees are your clients, not just your consultants.
Several of his points are not “accepted wisdom” , but well enough explained that I will have to consider them as worth trying. Read the whole piece to explore his ideas.