Inside the Technical Consulting Business: Launching and Building Your Independent Practice / Edition 3

by Harvey Kaye

Overview

Join the thousands of professionals who have already gotten Insidethe Technical Consulting Business — and discover how to channelyour technical know-how into an exciting career as an independentconsultant. This Third Edition of Harvey Kaye's bestselling guidegives you the focused, no-nonsense help you need to start and runyour own consulting practice in today's ultracompetitiveenvironment. What's inside: Setting up your consulting business.The lowdown on finances, record-keeping, office space, taxes, andchoosing the form of business organization that's right foryou.

Insider's guide to proposals and contracts. Gives plenty ofexamples to use in your own consulting practice.

Marketing secrets your boss never told you. Tips on creating demandfor your services and keeping your clients coming back for repeatbusiness.

PLUS ALL-NEW MATERIAL ON:
* Creating your personal strategic marketing plan. A step-by-stepguide to developing and maintaining your competitive edge.
* Learn from the pros. "Meet the Pros" interviews show howsuccessful consultants handled some of the very problems you'relikely to encounter.
* Building successful client relationships. The inside scoop onkeeping clients happy while protecting your own professionalinterests.
* The technical challenges of consulting. A consultant's primer onproblem-solving, coping with the information explosion, andorganizing for maximum productivity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780471183419
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	12/04/1997
Edition description:	REV
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	6.36(w) x 9.07(h) x 0.95(d)

About the Author

HARVEY KAYE has over twenty years of experience as a consultant in mechanical engineering, specializing in heat transfer and fluid mechanics. Educated at MIT, he has had contracts with many of the country's leading companies in the aerospace, electronics, and power industries.

Table of Contents

How to Leave Your Career Problems Behind.

Defining Your Own Business Identity.

Who Becomes a Consultant?

Three Fundamental Truths of Technical Marketing.

Marketing Secrets Other Consultants Won't Tell You.

Your Blueprint for Marketing Success.

The Sales Meeting.

Proposals and Contracts.

Billing Rates.

Projecting a Professional Image.

Dealing With the Client.

Financing a New Consulting Practice.

Setting Up Your Business.

Office Space and Stationery Needs.

Goals and Planning for the Future.

The Technical Challenges of Consulting.

Decision Making.

Making the Transition.

Playing Your Game.

Epilogue.

Appendix.

Suggested Reading List.

Index.

Editorial Reviews

A guide for engineers who want to off someone else's treadmill and start their own. Explores marketing, contracts, billing, taxes, office space, planning and evaluation, and some strategies. Emphasizes that the idea is not a get-rich-quick scheme, but a way of reshaping an engineer's professional career. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

"Inside The Technical Consulting Business" gave me the information I needed to step out on my own after being told (at 55 years of age) that there weren't any projects for my talents, which wasn't true. Your book helped boost my confidence that I could make it as an independent consultant. --Lawrence King, letter "Inside The Technical Consulting Business" is an outstanding book for anyone who is thinking of going into consulting. Harvey Kaye shares his experience as a practicing consultant in what works and what doesn't. This book will save the novice much time and grief on the way to a successful practice. --James A. Lacy, P.E., letter I have just finished reading--no, studying--your book. It is by far the most useful of many materials which I have been devouring recently. --Mike Lockwood, letter The book is a good read because it is transparently honest and leaves little unsaid about the problems which are universal in setting up a consultancy. --Sir Frederick Warner, Review in The Chemical Engineer (Great Britain) It is refreshing to find a book with as many clear and practical hints that can benefit consultants and non-consultants alike. --Clifford Sellie, Review in Industrial Engineering Kaye's practical down-to-earth advice is presented in a very readable style. He explains his points well, using analogies, humor, and personal experience to illustrate. --Karen Olander, Review in PV Voice Magazine

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