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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.

* 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.

A lot of people are now trying to make money online by selling different kinds of products and services. However, not all of them have the needed skills and in-depth knowledge when it comes to internet marketing. Some of these people find themselves not knowing what steps to take or the things that they need to do in order to convince online users to visit their website and later on, buy the products that they sell. If you are one of these people, I recommend that you take advantage of consulting services that specialize in internet marketing.

As a newbie in the field of online marketing, getting professional assistance can be the best thing that you can do to quickly realize your goals. People behind internet marketing consulting services can offer you with assistance in regards to keyword research and analysis, search engine optimization, article marketing, social media marketing, PPC advertising, and market research. They can help you improve your page ranking in as little time as possible. This can surely lead to more traffic and most sales leads.

However, be very careful when finding the right partners. There are so many people in the online arena today who are just self-proclaimed experts. Before you sign up, make sure that you do some research and verify their skills first. Ensure that they have proven track record and that they are trustworthy. Doing all of these can surely take time but these are the best things that you can do to ensure that you’re going to get your money’s worth.

This article is for those people who are currently offering consulting services in the online arena who are either looking for ways on how to sell their services or who are hoping to boost their sign up rate in as little time as possible. In here, I’ll give you some pointers that you must keep in mind to make your services more effective and worth every penny. So, read on!

First step is to put yourself in a position where your prospective clients will see you as the best in your chosen niche. You need to convince them that you’re the only one who can offer them the exact information and assistance that they’re looking for. If you can make this happen, I can guarantee you that they will surely sign up to your offerings.

You can reach that said position by simply showcasing your in-depth knowledge in your chosen niche whenever you have the opportunity. Write and share your expertise through article writing, blogging, ezine publishing, and by writing ebooks that you can send to those people who are most likely to buy from you. You can also host your own free teleseminars or offer sample consulting services through Skype or through email. I wouldn’t lie and tell you that doing all of these is relatively easy; in fact, this will most likely to take so much of your time but I can guarantee you that it will worth it.

Active listening. What they say is true; good service starts with listening. Be willing to listen to those people who are considered bloodline of your business. Value their opinions and ideas. Get them to talk about their problems or the things that they’re going through before you start giving them advice or recommendations. It’s very important that you get all the angles of the situation and even the smallest details. The more you know about the problem, the higher your chances of formulating effective solutions.

Increase your knowledge in your niche and improve your skills. The success of your consulting services will largely depend on your competence. You’ll most likely to impress your clients if you make sure that you’re always a great source of valuable information to them. This is the reason why I recommend that you continuously increase your knowledge in your niche. Read as many relevant resources as possible and attend relevant seminars and training programs whenever you have the chance. Then, strive to hone all those skills you use when offer consulting services. These include communication, active listening, analytical, problem-solving, and research skills.

Every business wants a rate of return on the investment that has been made into their core business. Yet many small and micro-sized businesses fail to invest in management consultancy because they do not typically understand the value that a third party brings to the table. Fortune 1K and Fortune 500 corporations know how management consulting affects ROI in a consistently positive manner and for a variety of reasons. So why do so many smaller businesses fail to understand and take full advantage of outside consultants?

For the purpose of this discussion, we’ll refer to “return on investment” (ROI) and “rate of return”, interchangeably, because each term is based on the same ratio of profit to capital. Likewise, in this discussion, when we refer to a business’ return on investment or overall success, we’re speaking to the profits derived from business operations versus ancillary investments, such as investments in other companies via the stock market.

It seems silly really when you think about it. Huge corporations hire consultants at every operational level absolutely every day of the year. Yet, smaller businesses tend to overlook the value of consultancy. Sometimes the company is strapped for cash and just doesn’t understand that they absolutely need help from a third party in order to stay afloat.

Closely held companies are often lead by a patriarchal or matriarchal figure who believes that only they, and they alone, understand their business enough to turn it around. Sadly, even after the patriarch/matriarch’s efforts continue to fail, they will stubbornly dig in and may even go so far as say to themselves, “If this ship is going to sink, as the Captain, I am the one who needs to stay aboard until the bitter end!”.

Far too often small ships do sink and their captains go down with them. Had the ‘captain’ hired a management consultant to take even a peek into his/her operations prior to being fully submerged, they may have been able to get a handle on the problem(s) before it was too late.

Every business that ultimately fails, does so because they lack an adequate rate of return. The reasons for a lacking ROI usually have less to do with ‘finance’ than some managers would have you believe. In fact, the ‘operations’ side of any business is where the rubber meets the road. Some businesses are challenged by inefficient manufacturing, sales, marketing or purchasing practices. Others may find their rate of return suffers because of an external force that they failed to respond to in an adequate and timely manner.

Had the failed business hired a general business or management consultant to work with the business leaders and perform an ‘operational reality analysis’, when their ship was still treading water, they would have been provided with a great deal of valuable information and additional insight so that they could have had the opportunity to make better informed decisions. Hiring a management consultant doesn’t guarantee success. It’s not an instant spray-on armor that is completely resistant to a business failing.

How management consulting affects ROI is summed up as follows. A third party intervention into the management and operations of a business provides far better odds of the business financially succeeding than having no intervention at all. Ultimately, all management teams and all leaders must make executive decisions based on their own knowledge, skill and fiduciary responsibility to their company. A management consultant can’t make the decisions for them, but he/she can certainly help business management and leadership quickly identify what parts of their ship is treading water and what areas of the ship might eventually take the entire crew into the darkest depths of disaster.

Buying a new home can give the home buyer a lot of problems and be a very stressful and scary time. First time home buyers can feel like they do not know if they are doing a lot of things right. This is very common, and while you should not stress out about buying a home, you should make sure that you know the importance of consulting a professional plumber when buying a new home.

The whole process that is involved with buying a new home can be very intimidating to anybody. There are many things that must be known when you inspect a home to find out if you should live in it. Any mistakes in this process can cause you to throw your money into a pit.

Everything about the house, both inside it and outside it, must be inspected for damage and other things. You must also make sure that you file the proper documentation with the government and get everything in that respect. Fines and jail await anybody who fails to properly file their new purchase with the government.

The soundness and how well the home is built is the first thing that should be looked at before closing on a home. There are many professionals and specialists that can really help you to fulfill this process. Things like the foundation and the supports need to be checked in order to ensure that a safe house is being bought.

It is vital to your future happiness that you bring in professionals to check everything in the house. Bad houses are all around and a previous owner might not tell you the specifics of what is all wrong with the house. This could cause you to throw thousands of dollars away on repairs that should have been done earlier.

Having a professional plumber go through and inspect everything is also very important. Pipes need to be checked for certain things, such as leaks and any cracks that may lead to leaks. These small leaks can flood an entire basement in minutes and the water can lead to the growth of mold and other things that can be hazardous to health.

Drains should always be checked for clogs and to make sure that they all working and flowing properly. Drains are very important for getting the water that you do not want out of your house. Clogged drains need to be unclogged immediately. These can lead to back ups and water can get all over your house. These clogs can also lead to cracks in pipes, which are never good.

Professionals are always a good call to go with for inspecting for damage and other things that may be wrong with a home. You must know the importance of consulting a professional plumber when buying a new home. Not consulting these people could lead to out of control expenses that should really have been taken care of by the previous owner of the house. All of this should be done before closing.

Consulting has become a very popular business for many companies online and for Corporate America. Every business is seeking individuals who have experienced the product and are willing to assist others in purchasing the product or even help the company make the product better. There are a number of Consulting Businesses that giving individuals the opportunity to own part of the business and grow it by creating residual income. One of the many obstacles that consultants have are gathering prospects. Many of these consultants go to their family and friends first then have to move on to do cold-calling and other marketing methods. Marketing a Consulting Business can be made very easy to a consultant by remembering the Top 3 Ways to Market your Consulting Business Online:

1. Many consultants and Business owners have a website provided by the company but that’s just the tip of the iceberg, how do you generate traffic to your website? Generating the traffic can be overwhelming, you must know how to do it, and find the method that works for you. You can do this by passing out business cards, posting flyers, etc. But one of the most popular ways to drive traffic to your Consulting business is by performing Keyword Research. You will want to find the words that people are searching for on the web regarding your particular business so that you can drive them to your website by writing Keyword rich articles.

2. Social Media Networking – Getting on the Social Media Networks will help you brand yourself. People always want to see the face behind the name and they want to get to know you and build a relationship with you first prior to doing business with you. Many people fear Facebook and Twitter because of the advanced technology of all the applications available, but fear not! There are many tutorials available and online marketing schools that provide you the training that you need to start using Social Media correctly.

3. Create a blog about your Consulting Business – Creating a blog will help you drive even more traffic to your business by posting keyword rich posts that will make your blog stand out from the competition. You want to be the first one on Google when individuals research about your consulting business.

Marketing a Consulting Business can be intimidating for those that have never marketed online, but if you find the right Marketing School online that will train you on how to market correctly for your particular niche you will be extremely profitable! I can not express enough how important it is to have access to keyword research, this is how many companies are making the first page of Google.

IT consulting firms strive to meet the goals of your business in terms of technological advances, information systems, and overall business goals. A common misunderstanding is what these firms actually do. They analyze and present better designed business systems. Once they have created this design, they implement within your budget, and manage the system to improve how your business runs each day. Businesses have a difficult time managing the complete information technology package. It can be hard to find suitable employees that can meet the constantly changing demands of a business information system. IT consulting firms offer the people and technical knowledge without the additional work of staffing. These firms can help your business get the most out of continuing technology.

Computer Consulting – Types of Consulting Firms

In general, consulting firms can be broken down into three types of firms. The first is a professional services firm. These are very large computer consulting services that maintain a large and knowledgeable staff. Global businesses throughout the world rely on their specialized knowledge and services. A pretty hefty bill comes along with their services. Even so, they may be the most help in certain situations. Staffing firms use people with specific expertise for a short period of time. They remain in effect while your business develops and then phase out as the regular IT employees take over. Independent consultants focus on increasing the productivity and profit of the companies for which they work. These types of consultants keep on top of the newest software and hardware developments to come up with resolutions that meet the challenges of today’s business world. They handle every function including planning, implementation, and system maintenance. For the most overall service and productivity, an independent computer consulting firm might be the better of the three.

IT Consultants Improve Integrity, Security, and Performance

Three top concerns are handled by IT consultants: data integrity, security, and system performance. Data integrity is a priority of every company. When data is incorrect, it can mess up everything. Customer orders, sales figures, and inventory counts could all be wrong. The wrong customer information can be stored with the wrong order id. An order could be shipped to the wrong person and result in a very unsatisfied and worried customer. Without the proper backups, data can be lost. IT consultants monitor the systems they implement to ensure backups are done properly and all data updates are reliable. Hackers and viruses are two security breaches that all companies struggle with. Proper setup prevents these occurrences from crippling your company. Firewalls and virus programs have many settings and professionals that set networks up regularly will have the most knowledge of these settings. Having the wrong setup can be just as dangerous as having no protection at all. It takes the right combination of hardware and applications for a system to perform its best. Consultants know which components work well together. Relying on individuals within the company to make these decisions can lead to incompatible components and wasted company funds. For the best performance and enhanced protection, leave these items to people who deal with these issues daily.