I’m lazy. I’d rather leave something laying around than put it away. I hate housework. And yardwork. And doing my taxes. And sometimes even doing billable work. There’s lots of stuff I’d rather be doing. Like reading books. Napping. Watching TV. Surfing the internet. Hiking. The list is endless. You too? I thought so. We’ve… Continue Reading
The mistake that nearly killed my consulting career (and how to star in a Vegas show)
In case you haven’t seen it, I have an article on TechRepublic on why it’s important to be in a consulting niche. I won’t give away how to get your own Vegas show, but as I learned while writing the article, it’s surprising how much consulting and having your own Vegas show have in common…. Continue Reading
Still being ignored? 7 proven ways to make yourself irresistible to clients
Does it seem like your competitors are better than you? Do they outshine you in the marketplace? Do they seem more credible? Maybe your competitors aren’t even that great, but they still manage to steal the spotlight. How do they do it? The hidden secret: create credibility What makes you comfortable buying something? Features? Price?… Continue Reading
Are you making this amateur mistake? (and what to do about it)
Way back in high school, I worked at a grocery store. Besides the usual, brand-name products, we also stocked generic products. Now, this was back in the mid-1980′s, and generic foods weren’t the house labels (Kirkland, etc.) that they are now. Generics back then both looked like and delivered crap. But, there was a market–a… Continue Reading
How to get more consulting work WITHOUT doing sales: Jedi mind tricks & magic elves
What if you could get more consulting work from clients & prospects WITHOUT doing any “sales”? You probably hate the idea of doing traditional sales–cold-calling, prospecting, and all the rest. I hate it too. But how do you get more consulting work without being sales-y? The trick isn’t to pitch the client something that they… Continue Reading
How I lost over $14,000, and how to avoid my business mistakes
Yep, $14,000. Lost. Poof! Gone. This was the biggest of my business mistakes, and my wife won’t let me forget it–though I don’t blame her. In truth, like any disaster, it wasn’t just one mistake, but several. A deceptive start It started a couple years ago when I got a phone call from a new… Continue Reading
The 2 mistakes that will destroy your business, & how to create your success (plus 1 announcement)
Mistake #1 can destroy your business “I’m going to quit my job and start a business!” I hear it with so much enthusiasm–and being an entrepreneur, I REALLY want to encourage that optimism. But the problem is that quitting your job to start a business will almost always ensure failure. Why? Well, unless you’ve already… Continue Reading
Don’t sabotage yourself in the New Year: how to create your breakthrough (plus 3 announcements)
Stop reading the news–it’s just full of stories about how the economy still sucks. Besides, bellyaching about the global, national, state, or even your local economy doesn’t do anything for your bank account. Stop complaining–it’ll only sabotage your efforts. You care most about your own personal economy. And guess what? You have a lot of… Continue Reading
Consulting Income Report: September – November 2011
Here’s the breakdown of the past few months for my consulting business: I finally get a big payday From the chart, you can see a big spike in the amount I was paid in November. That’s because one of my biggest clients had 2 months’ worth of invoices that they finally paid in November…. Continue Reading