Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Start an Independent Consulting Company
There are many benefits to become an independent consultant. The main benefit in this is to become your own boss for your own work, creating your own schedule, giving enough time for your family. It will give you flexibility. These are the biggest reasons for starting as a business. If the matter comes to starting your own consulting job then you become your own owner and the responsible person for your loss or profit.

Starting the independent consulting company is the wave of your future. If you have completely decided that you fit in this field of independent consulting than you have to determine into the field and decide whether it is a right career for you or not. Every one can not fit to run their independent consulting company. This independent consulting needs the spiritualism, dedication and the drive. They also need a willingness which gets them to market your self and also gather some of the organizational knowledge and skills. This will help you to maintain good relation between the customers and have a good relationship with your customers.

For your business you have to choose the legal structure. There are many more options in which one can select the one you needed. A sole proprietorship will be better for you if you are going into business alone. Other wise you start with a partner ship if you basically have a status of consulting under a 1099. Using the sole proprietorship, how ever your personal assets may be binding to a risk because there is no difference between your business and yourself. Get insurance for your business. There are two types of business insurance which every company should have to take one of them is the general liability insurance.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4169508
Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Internet Consulting Company
Since the Internet became the new global marketplace, more companies have sought out an Internet consulting company to help maximize their online business. However, as with any other industry, the Internet consulting is filled opportunities that range from the great to the mediocre. In order to determine the best opportunity for you, it helps to have some knowledgeable questions in hand as you dialogue with a prospective Internet consulting company. Below, we list valuable questions to ask as you determine the best consulting company for your needs.

Does the Company Offer Website Rebuilding?

Although website rebuilding isn't officially an SEM or SEO tactic, research shows that outdated or amateur websites consistently receive less attention that professionally designed websites. In addition to the power aesthetic appeal in terms of professional image, a top rate website also offers supreme navigability, which plays a role in increasing the performance of a company's web traffic.

Does the Company Perform SEM prior to Performing SEO?

To get the most out of your web presence, it's necessary for marketing research to precede search engine optimization, as the former plays a role in determining the effectiveness of the latter. Some companies offer search engine optimization as a singular service. But unless you have thorough web marketing research in place, spending your money on SEO is placing the cart before the horse. Although website optimization is what enhances selling power, its basis lies in marketing research.

Does the Company Offer Pay Per Click (PPC) Campaigns?

PPC isn't a new advertising strategy. But with page rankings becoming increasingly "sponsorship" driven, PPC is becoming a necessity for companies that wish to maximize their web presence. Currently, research shows that nearly 50 percent of search engine traffic is received by paid search results, as they typically appear within the top three search result listings. In traditional marketing, companies compete for business by outbidding each other. But in Internet marketing, where selling power is arranged hierarchically based on page rank, being at the top of the list is what counts.

Does a Company Offer Video Production?

While it might seem unnecessary for an Internet consulting company to offer video production, creating various types of web videos, optimizing them, and placing them in the right mediums can have a significant impact on a company's bottom line. A primary example of why video services are desirable in an Internet consultant can be found in homepage videos, which can be used in a variety of capacities to promote sales. Because the Internet is a visual medium that entertains as much as it informs, using video to promote sales only makes sense.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4775683
How to Choose a Healthcare Consulting Company
If you're a healthcare professional, or involved with running a hospital or doctor's surgery, then perhaps you're looking for ways to improve the service you offer to your patients, or want to make your staff and other resources more efficient. Why not see how healthcare consulting could help?

Here's what you need to know when choosing a Healthcare consulting company

1. You might have already identified the symptoms that are preventing you from offering a better level of patient care, or your staff being as effective as possible. Perhaps you have too many staff on, or there are not enough appointments available, or people are waiting too long to be seen in Accident and Emergency

2. Healthcare consultants will help to identify the cause of the problems, so that you can begin to think about solving them. Some problems might be simple to resolve, whilst others might involve a complete change of working practice, and introducing new technology. Are what they suggesting practical and will they work in your environment?

3. The healthcare consultants you use will need to be as devoted to patient care as you are. If they don't seem to understand your requirements, or how you operate, or what your problems are and how they affect patients, then how can they hope to resolve them?

4. It's essential that you choose healthcare experts, who know that streamlining healthcare isn't the same as in other industries, and who understand what's involved and the implications of getting it wrong. If they're accountants more used to streamlining factories, then they're more likely to be interested in saving money, rather than having your patients' best interests at heart.

5. Consultants that have worked with other Healthcare services or hospitals will be able to use their experience to help identify what you need, and how to implement it. If they only have the theory, and not the the practice, you won't want to be their first healthcare client.

6. You'll want to make sure that the healthcare consulting company have actual clinical expertise of working in a hospital, GP or dental surgery so that they can suggest ideas that will actually work in a real healthcare environment, such as a ward, or busy waiting room not just on paper.

7. As there might be a lot involved, everybody involved will need to be kept informed of the changes, and so communication will be hugely important. What sort of help will you get from the healthcare consulting company? Will you be expected to manage everything, and run a hospital?

8. You'll want to ensure that the solutions will solve your problems and make things better for your patients and staff, and not just a one size fits all approach that's used for every company in all industries.

9. You'll want to know that the solutions use proven methods, and industry best practice. Why not find out where else they have been used? Which other hospitals or surgeries had the same sort of problem, and are now using the suggested solution?

10. You'll want to make sure that the healthcare consultants will help you to operate a better and more efficient working environment, so that you spend less time on administration, or trying to work around problems, and more time actually treating patients.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3777864
Consulting Companies - How to Find the Best Consulting Company
More and more people are now setting up their own consulting companies as this is one of the most lucrative ways to make money both in the online and offline arena. As clients have now several choices, the process of finding the best consulting company that will meet their needs and demands becomes a bit complicated and time-consuming.

Here's how you can find the best consulting company without breaking a sweat:

1. The first thing that you need to do is to conduct your research. If you want to save some time, I recommend that you do it online. Visit forums, blogs, and discussion boards where people usually talk about their experiences with different consulting companie

s. List down 3-5 companies that were highly recommended and visit their website. By doing this, you'll have an idea what these companies really offer and what sets them apart from the rest.

2. Inquire. Send email inquiry to the top 3-5 consulting companies. You can ask about their rates, the type of assistance that they can offer you (give them a brief background of your goals or pressing issues), etc. Go with the company that reply within 24 hours (the quicker, the better) and the company that obviously took time to answer your questions in details.

3. Ask for free consultation. Most consulting companies do not mind offering their potential clients with free consultations and even free consulting sessions. Take advantage of these so you can gauge if they are the right fit before you sign up. This is the best way to make sure that you'll work with the company that has what it takes to take you to where you would like to be.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2392490
Consulting Companies - Revealed - 4 Effective Methods to Build a Profitable Consulting Company
Are you trying to build your very own consulting company to get closer to your financial freedom? Then, these effective methods are for you!
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1. Do your research. I am pretty sure that you would want to make a lot of revenue in this field. So, don't just jump into this endeavor without doing your assignment. After identifying the niche to target, determine how many people are offering the same consulting services. You may want to stay away from stiff competition by avoiding niches that are targeted by the big dogs. By doing this, you'll increase your chances of attracting more customers which will obviously mean more revenue for you.

2. Learn from the experts. I highly recommend that you work together with people who own successful consulting companies. Although most of them will surely not be willing to share all their secrets and techniques, I am pretty sure that they'll be able to give you some amazing pointers as to how you can get started on the right foot. If you are willing to spend at least $12,000, you can learn the ropes of building a profitable consulting company by simply signing up to coaching programs or advanced online classes that are being offered by some of the experts in this field.

3. Hire competent consultants. Before you advertise your company, I recommend that you hire at least 3 consultants to work for you. You can start by visiting freelancing sites where you can find the best freelancer workers from all points of the globe. You can also visit blogs and forums that are frequented by these people. Lastly, you can post an ad on your website that contains all your requirements.

4. Plan an effective advertising campaign. Learn the basic of internet marketing in order to easily promote your consulting company. If you are trying to save on your advertising cost, you may consider writing and distributing articles online, building and maintaining a blog, or promoting your business and your site's URL on blogs or social networking sites that are frequented by your potential clients. However, if you have the money to spare, I recommend that you use banner ads on relevant sites. You may also use search engine marketing, paid links, and PPC advertising. In addition to these marketing tools, you may also think about launching marketing gimmicks like giving out discounts or freebies that can surely capture the attention of your target market.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2268217
Key Services That Must Be Provided by Search Engine Optimization Consulting Companies
Search engine optimization consulting companies are those professionals that help you in increasing traffic on your website. It not only brings more users to your website but also eventually helps you in building the ranking of your website. It also assists you from competing with other website owners who are already at a higher position and provides you with secrets of maintaining that position for a very long period of time.
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A professional SEO consulting must provide you with the following basic services in order to prove themselves the best and the finest.

The first step that your SEO consulting company must opt is thorough examination of the position of your website amongst the others, analyze the competition and the competitors and then offer bit by bit development plan to increase the ranking of your website. This first step is very important for your company and if taken properly it completes half of the work load. A clever move is something what you should expect from the professional SEO consultants at first.

The second major step taken by the consultants should be related towards providing your website with quality and eye-catching keywords in case your website does not have one. If your website already has keywords then those should be revised and changed into relevant and attracting keywords so that your website should appear in the first few search result list. The keywords suggested by your consulting company must be commonly used or mostly searched.

The consulting company must advice you to have articles pages on your website in order to provide as much information as required by the users. This will not only help the users but by providing a link to your sales page in the articles it will increase the sales as people after getting impressed by the articles will be motivated towards purchasing that product which will end up in increasing the sales of your company.

A good consulting company must never prevent you from providing links to other websites having related information. There are certain users who require maximum information they could gather from the website and since it is almost impossible to provide them with all kind of information that they are in need of through your website it is better to provide link to other websites which have similar information. This way the user will always click on your website first before going to other websites which will eventually increase the clicking on your website resulting in high ranking in comparison to websites which do not provide connecting links.

Providing high ranking to your website amongst other competitors does not fulfills the responsibility of your consulting company as staying on a higher position is much more difficult than attaining one. A professional SEO consulting company must provide you with tips that would help you in maintain high ranking for a very longer period of time. Other than providing guidelines they should also help you to operate those guidelines in the most effective manner.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4701040
Naming a Consulting Company
With the economy on the skids, many experienced mid and upper level professionals are striking out on their own, leveraging their expertise to build their own future and control their own destiny. For many of these aspiring entrepreneurs, creating a compelling brand name is new territory, a complete and utter mystery. They know it's an important part of the equation, and they may have even had a full time marketing department at their previous firm. But now it's "do-it-yourself-time," and there's a dearth of information on how to brand a new consulting company successfully. Fear no more. The first step in branding a consulting company is to know your objectives. Here are four key questions to clarify your goals...

1. Do you want your company name to stand out, or fit in? This may seem like a trick question, but there is not a right or wrong answer. Some new consultants are so concerned with gaining acceptance in their industry, they are much more comfortable with a name that sounds established and credible, right from the outset. If that's the case, try looking up a list of others in your industry on sites such as dmoz.org. You will then gain a sense of the nomenclature used in your field. You may be able to emulate the feel, much like other industries have done (i.e. Microsoft's Outlook, Apple's Safari, Netscape's Navigator, etc.) If want to gain notice, then do just the opposite. Look at the company names in your field and use interpretive naming strategies. For example, if nearly everyone in your category uses proper names (sometimes known as "legacy" names) then go with a metaphor (i.e. Jaguar, Caterpillar, Amazon, Monster, etc.) to convey your company's attributes. Or try positive connotation words to create an entirely new identity (i.e. RedHat, OnStar, FireDog, etc.) Just make sure you have a rationale that can explain why you chose that name, and one that leads to a deeper dialog about your company.

2. Have you explored all the possibilities? Frequently, new business owners become frustrated and discouraged when naming their new businesses, simply because they've attempted only one or two naming strategies. Many times they've created a list of literal/functional names, (i.e. Custom Software Consulting) only to find the domain names are gone. Or they've attempted some obvious metaphors (i.e. Summit, Pinnacle, etc.) and found dozens of companies with similar names. The trick is to employ several methods. These include...

* Key attributes -- For an example, we named one staffing company BrightHire.com based on their desire to attract the most intelligent candidates. You can see this employed with company names such as SirSpeedy, EconoLodge, Priceline and Smart Cuts. Is there an overarching benefit you provide that you can incorporate into your name?

* Invented names -- This is a favorite with consultants but proceed with caution. It's easy to get caught up in with the chase of a new name and gradual twist the spelling and message until it's unintelligible. It's okay to use Latin word parts and obscure references if the name can still be spoken and spelled easily. Small firms have the advantage of conveying part of the brand message in person, over the phone, or at a trade conference. But don't push it. If you find yourself having to constantly spell or correct the spelling, then it's a miss. And keep in mind the name can be invented and still carry a sense of meaning. We named one company Claricent, because they were able to provide clear insight and direction to their client base. So you can still convey an attribute, even in an invented name. (i.e Verizon = Horizon, Agilent =Agile, etc.)

* Descriptive Hybrid Names -- These names combine an industry descriptor word and marry it with an evocative word. Examples include companies such as Emisstar, consultants in the emissions control industry. Big brand examples include JetBlue and CarMax. If you use this approach, just be sure that your industry descriptor is one that won't change over time.

* Metaphors -- Since the proverbial "picture paints a thousand words", then metaphors are a great way to convey multiple company attributes with a single image. FourBridges Capital, for example, expresses this investment banking firm's ability to "bridge the gap" and "connect business with capital," etc. With four major partners and four major bridges in Chattanooga, TN, the story gains even more traction.

3. Have you prioritized your wants? Starting a new consultancy provides a beautiful blank page upon which to craft your story. Take time to determine what is most important in that story.
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* Do you want a name that's memorable?
* Do you want a name that's easy to say and spell?
* Are you most concerned with trademark?

* Are you adamant that to have the exact matching.com domain name? Figure out the key driver(s) behind your naming challenge, so that when you come down to a final list, you can look back and pick the one that meets your top criteria. Often the process can get foggy and unfocused after a prolonged search for a name, and all the words start sounding alike. So be sure you know what you want before you begin. That way it will help you when it's 3 a.m., your eyes start to cross, and your spouse no longer wants to be your sounding board.

4. Are you seeing the big picture? -- Create a short list of your favorite names, and then test them out. Make sure you choose people who are either in your potential market, or who understand good branding. Rather than randomly tossing names around, create some context for each name, so that when the name is said, it falls into place. You may even want to invest in some quick logo treatments to help visualize the brand. Many major brand names would ring hallow if only spoken. Judge the whole package... name, rough tagline, sketch of logo, to get the real feel. A consulting name such as BearingPoint gains traction once it has a logo, tag line, and a story line. Decide if you want to fit in or stand out, utilize multiple naming strategies, prioritize your "wants" list, and test your ideas, and you'll be well on your way to a great consulting company brand name. Once you make your selection, be sure to run it by your trademark attorney and to acquire the matching, or closely matching, com domain name. Continue to integrate your brand message throughout your web site, corporate identity, collateral materials and advertising to further strengthen your presence. If done properly, you will have a company name that serves you well, both now and for years to come.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2141823