Goodbye, 9 to 5! Starting Your At-Home Consulting Business

Foremost, building your own consulting business from your home comes with a lot of exciting and new challenges. There are a lot of benefits to working from home, but you will also have to put in a lot of hard work. If you’ve decided to start a consulting business, you will need to create a business plan that includes branding and marketing strategies.

Before you begin offering services, you need to think about what industries you have expertise in and what consulting skills you can provide. Can you advise entrepreneurs on their own marketing skills, or do you know what it takes to build a well-designed website? Do you have a special niche like culinary or copywriting? Pick an industry that you are familiar with, and then break up your consulting services into sections.

Consider your business plan and branding 

When it is time to develop your business plan, you will need to think about your branding. Consider the types of clients you would like to work with and how many services you can provide. Also, choose a well thought out name and logo for your business. Next, you will have to construct a marketing plan that effectively delivers information to a wide range of people. By putting your name out there, you can attract your first clients!

Changing Your Lifestyle With An At Home business 

Running your business from home will bring many lifestyle changes. Most of these are benefits of working from home. For one, you can usually decide what hours you would like to work. Will you work a full 40 hours per week? Maybe you can get all your work done in 30-35 hours per week. You can also decide if you will stick to the average Monday-Friday work week, or you can split your work days throughout the week.

Challenge Yourself – But Be Kind

There are challenges to working from home, as well. To run a successful consulting business from your home, you have to be a very self-motivated worker. It’s easy to get distracted, so it’s important to keep focused on your work without cutting corners or putting off tasks. The last thing you want is to have a pile of work to do on a Friday night or late deliveries on completed projects. Make sure you have all the resources you need in your home that you would have in an office. This includes a working computer, reliable internet connection, and any online tools you may need for your consulting business.

Your own consulting business is not   9-5 anymore, its any time

Your at-home consulting business is not going to operate like your average 9-5 office job. Avoid locking yourself into that mindset, and you will be very comfortable working with an open schedule. To put it simply, you will have to work when work needs to get done. This lifestyle may not have set hours and work days, but it will also allow you much more freedom.

Branding Strategies for Your At Home Business

Another wonderful perk of running your own consulting business from home is that you can choose your clientele. As your own boss, you can decide what types of people and other businesses you would like to create partnerships with. In translation, your clientele will represent your brand. Ask yourself what types of people you will work successfully with.

Do you want clients that are available to communicate 24/7, or would you prefer a client that you check in with once per week? Also, ask yourself what types of businesses you would like to consult for. Consider where your expertise and skills lie.

Keeping Your Mind Open

A part of branding your consulting business will require you to have an open mind, as well. When offering services to your clients, stay aware of their needs and what they’re looking for. Break up your services into sections, and your client can pick what will work best for them. Instead of offering a single service, and saying “no” to any client who doesn’t need the full package, mold what you can do to fit their desires.

A Logo For Your Consulting Business 

Finally, creating a recognizable brand for your at-home consulting business will involve having a thoughtful business name and logo. Perhaps your business is in IT then you’ll need a computer logo. Your business’s name should convey what it is and describe a general atmosphere. This should also be perceived by the logo. Choose colors and imagery that will let your clients know right away what they can expect from your business.

Marketing Strategies for Your Business

When working from home, having a website to represent your consulting business is crucial. This website will provide contact information, a list of services, and an area to make payments. Make the investment, and purchase a domain name. This will look professional and won’t allow clients to look elsewhere for consulting services. You can also display examples of past projects, and published works, or testimonials of your business on the website.

Expand Your Outreach

To advertise your business, you will have to utilize social media and email lists. Pushing ads through social media will allow hundreds of people, if not more, to see your business. Online ads will also direct traffic to your website. Create an email list of clients and future clients. Send out emails on a weekly or daily basis that will engage your contacts and keep them interested in staying connected with your business.

Marketing Your Consulting Business On Social Media

Aside from using social media and emails to push ads for your services, you’ll want to make useful business connections. Find at-home business consultants that do similar work, and connect with them. Creating a reliable circle of like-minded people gives you an outlet to seek advice and grow your business connections.

Conclusion

Starting your at-home consulting business takes a lot of work, especially if you are starting from the ground up. Consider the lifestyle you want, your brand, and your marketing strategy when making your business plan. Hone in on your skill set and what you can offer to business professionals as services.

Remember to create a functioning website like the ones we create at The Logo Company. This will act as a useful tool for both yourself and your clients. When choosing your clients, decide what types of people you work best with, but also keep an open mind when providing services. Not everyone will fit the same bill!