When engaging a Consultant or if you are delivering Consulting Services, the following critical assets should be expected as part of each Project:
- Letter of Introduction - this document aims to formally communicate and describe relevant services after an initial meeting or phone call.
- Project Outline and Agreement - this gives each party clear expectations relating to the purpose and the terms of the project and is ideal if the relationship is established and/or more casual.
- Detailed Proposal - a detailed proposal describes the activities which will be conducted during the project, the roles of each party and any preliminary and final deliverables. This is expected if the project is high value, competitive and/or very professional.
- Project Timeline - this gives each party clear expectations relating to the timeframe of key activities and stages of the project, plus when progress and final payments will be requested.
- Invoices - professional invoices should be issued as per the Project Agreement or Proposal - plus note, it is wise to issue separate invoices for consulting time and out-of-pocket expenses so large services payments are not held up due to disputes over, for example, small expense claims.
- Receipts - professional receipts are required to acknowledge payments and so clients may complete their accounting and taxation activities.
- Report Template with Disclaimer - to protect consulting businesses and for full disclosure for clients, a disclaimer is a necessary part of the final deliverable(s).
- Presentation - not all projects require a presentation, however if it does, then the presentation should be formatted like the formal report(s). This could also be used as a pitch document when competing for a project and encourages discussion between the consultant and the client about specific aspects of the project.
If you have an existing consulting business or are considering setting up a new consulting business, these "internal assets" are also required to ensure your business operates smoothly - these help you set up and manage the project and should not be shared with clients:
- Project Costing - this important asset is critical in ensuring all your time and expenses will be covered. Our Template is coded to automatically calculate fees based on hourly rates and estimated hours.
- Invoice Timeline - this asset highlights when you should invoice your clients based on when you outlay specific time and expenses and is critical for managing your cash flow.
- Timesheet - this asset is imperative for tracking the time spent on specific project activities and helps to ensure you are not going over the expected and billable hours.
Our Consultant Manual is a step-by-step workbook to help you set up or refine a consulting business and includes all the above assets and deliverable templates. This valuable guide describes how to identify your unique value proposition and target relevant clients effectively to quickly develop and maintain, a successful and reputable consulting business.
You may use the Consultant Manual at your own pace and it is ideal to begin to use whilst you are still employed and earning a salary, so you may begin the business immediately after you leave your current employment and there is minimal gap in earnings.
Plus our Consultant Toolkits contain a variety of Operations, Treatment and Management Manuals which you may quickly customise to fast-track your business launch/re-invention.
All of these Manuals may be adapted to also consult to salons, wellness businesses and general management consulting clients.
If you need help and additional confidence and expertise, I also offer Mentoring Services to support you in identifying your niche skillset and promoting and developing your business.
You may also refer to our related article called Set Up or Refresh Your Consulting Business.
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