I just want to update all of you out there who are considering starting a cosmetic line.

There is soooooo much to this, I can’t begin to tell you. Without giving too many “trade secrets” away, I will try to give good advice.

First, if you are not a patient person, this isn’t for you. Nothing ever gets done the way or in the time frame it should. I have gone through three different cosmetic manufacturers in one year!!!! Since I am a small start-up with little capital, I have to work with small manufacturing companies. This means that they have greater potential to be unprofessional, and not know what the hell they are doing.

Do not let these companies walk over you. YOU are paying them. You have every right to tell them what you want and how you want it. You should not feel guilty or that you are being too “bossy”. You won’t get anywhere being timid.

Let me backtrack a little. I literally started from scratch. I knew what I wanted to do: have a prestige, organic, all natural mineral-based makeup. That’s all. I didn’t know where to get the ingredients, or how the whole process worked. I just started pouring over the Internet like a madman (being obsessive-compulsive is great if you know how to put it to good use)…I just started looking for manufacturing companies for my type of product.

It was a long and tedious path. But before you start looking, you really need to know, “what is my makeup line going to be?” “Who will it be for?” “What will I have that nobody else has?” “why will people want to buy my product?” If you can’t answer these questions, you are not ready. You must do research on cosmetics to see what is needed out there. Is it for minorities? oily skin? Older skin? what are the price points going to be? where will you sell it? who will be your market? have you thought of marketing/advertising and PR (marketing and PR are entirely different. If you don’t know this, you need to check that out too).

There is so much to do before you even look for a manufacturer. Research is key. Think of it this way: people are going to say, “wow, you have a makeup line, what is different about it? I get asked this all the time. If you don’t have a great answer: “It’s a small color line geared toward the career woman who has minutes to put on makeup. It’s a quick fix that looks great in little time.”

If you just want to “create a line” because you “think it would sell”, it won’t. There are hundreds of makeup lines out there. Yours must be different, exciting, fresh, and innovative. To just sell foundation and blush doesn’t work. You need a selling point, and a big one, at that.

I feel like I jumped around a bit here, but all of the information is salient, I think. It should help. I will write on this topic again very soon.

Source by Chris Drummond

If you have a business that uses or retails cosmetics, skincare, makeup, body and bath products, hair care, toiletries, etc, have you ever asked yourself:

Who is really making the profit?

Of course, it’s the cosmetics manufacturers — they’re among some of the wealthiest conglomerates in the world.

When you consider that a hair, skin, beauty, body or bath product retailing for $50 costs between 10 cents and $3 to make, it’s easy to see how these companies become so wealthy.

So, what’s stopping you from making private label cosmetics? Why not make your own brand cosmetic and beauty products, and label them to suit your own business?

There’s no need to contract a laboratory to manufacture for you — this will only dilute your profits. Manufacturing cosmetics is easy — its many advantages include the ability to make only what you require, without the expense of minimum orders. You can control the quality of the ingredients — including essential oils, plant and fruit extracts, fragrances, etc — and make products of an even higher quality than the leading manufacturers.

You’ve probably heard many myths about making your own private label cosmetics:

1. You need an expensive laboratory

Not true. You can make private label cosmetics, makeup, skincare, haircare and toiletries in your own home, workshop or shopfront using basic and inexpensive equipment.

2. Professional quality recipes are prohibitively expensive — the average industry rate for one cosmetic formulation starts at $400.

It’s true that buying private label cosmetic formulas singularly is extremely expensive. Purchasing multiple formulations need not be costly — in fact, it can be highly cost effective.

3. You need to be a cosmetics chemist and have a degree in science or chemical engineering to be able to make private label cosmetics and toiletries.

Not true. If you can follow simple instructions, you can easily mix together the required cosmetic ingredients to make lotions, creams, liquids, gels, foams and any other form of cosmetic, beauty or toiletry product. Of course, you must use professionally formulated cosmetics recipes — homemade or handcrafters formulas are not suitable for wholesaling or retailing.

4. You need permission from the FDA to be allowed to make private label cosmetics to sell for wholesale and retail purposes.

False. The FDA requires only that you follow certain simple rules regarding correct labeling and the use of approved, non-pathogenic cosmetic ingredients. You do not need permission or a license from the FDA. This misinformation is just another example of the multi-nationals trying to keep their stranglehold on this mega-profitable industry. If you use professionally formulated cosmetic formulas, you will be complying with FDA regulations.

Manufacturing private label cosmetics can add a new and highly profitable dimension to your business. You can even offer your services as a private label cosmetics manufacturer to other hair, beauty and spa salons, pharmacies and a diverse range of retailers.

Source by Sam Stein

With online beauty businesses growing at such a fastpace, creating your very own line of beauty products has motivated many entrepreneurs looking to become the next cosmetic giant. An exciting industry where you can be as creative as you want to be, and potentially earn a great living too.

You may stop and ask yourself. Where do I start?

All you need to start is an idea and a passion… and a little creativity doesn’t hurt either – and who knows, maybe one day your cosmetic line will be featured in such magazines as InStyle or Lucky!

Pursuing your dream as a cosmetics maker will take a lot of research to help make your dreams come true. But well worth the effort as this will help guide you and build a solid business plan.

Starting your own unique cosmetics business from home is probably one of the easiest ways to becoming a part of this multi-billion dollar growing industry…. over 7 billion actually. New cosmetic lines are opening up shop everyday, and with the internet reach, many are cashing in on their creativity and passion.

Even though only a handful grow into big corporations, most cosmetics businesses earn a pretty decent living, and a fulfilling lifestyle.

There are many cosmetics out there ranging from handmade beauty soaps, oils and lotions to specialized skin care lotions as well as lip balms and lipsticks. However, if you’re like many entrepreneurs, you’re probably interested in making and selling profitable, low-cost items with high turnarounds.

Below are several everyday items with very good selling history to consider:

* Lotions
* Body Fragrances
* Lip Balms
* Lip Glosses
* Beauty Soaps

If you’re thinking that creating your cosmetics line will require some complex lab work, think again. You can certainly make simple cosmetics right at home in your own kitchen. People have been doing it for years. There are some guidelines to follow though when selling to others, and I’ve taken the liberty to add some of those helpful resources at the end of this post.

While most big companies outsource the manufacturing of their line to other businesses, many got their start just as you are doing now. Small, and in the kitchen. Focus on getting your business set from the line you’ll carry, price points, packaging and costs to operate it. You’ll need stock and supplies. Settle in and get a feel for it.

Now, before pitching your cosmetic line to upscale retail stores, you can easily start selling your wonderful products through:

* Online venues like Etsy, Artfire and Silkfair
* Consignment shops
* Mall kiosks
* Home events with friends/family
* Rent tiny booths at a neighborhood outdoor/indoor event

You can live out your cosmetic business dreams regardless of your experience level or educational background, which is the beauty of this industry. You can do it part-time or full-time, at home or in a rented space. don’t rush it, and never bite off more than you can chew.

For those with that creative and entrepreneurial spirit, creating your own cosmetic line is most likely a perfect fit for you. There is little investment involved, and plenty of resources abound.

Selling cosmetics online (or any product for that matter) can be very consuming of your time. In this buying industry, made up mostly of women who want to form a personal relationship with your first because for them wearing cosmetics is a personal issue and they must trust the company before making a purchase from you. This isn’t like buying a sweater.

When you’ve been in business for at least a year, and you’re looking to increase your business revenue. You can start by offering more selections (anti-aging, serum, foundation, etc.) – You can also cater to special niche markets (anti-stretch mark lotions, mens cosmetic line, ethnic niches, mothers-to-be,etc.)

A big myth out there about starting your own cosmetics line is…starting a cosmetics line takes a lot of capital. Well, in many cases, this just isn’t true. Only a few hundred dollars for supplies and materials is needed to get started.

With a clever twist, you can easily upgrade an existing product into a “new and improved” one. For example, a popular lip enhancing product is basically lip gloss filled with ginger extract to increase blood circulation in lips.

Now it’s a big hit and has made its creators millionaires.

If your dream is to start your own line of cosmetic products – I say go for it!

Here are the helpful resource pages I mentioned to get you started on starting your own cosmetic line:

U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a great number of resources pages, tips and information to help you start your beauty line business.

Source by Nic Soto

So, you want to be a cosmetics chemist? You want to join the cosmetic chemistry industry and formulate skincare, haircare, toiletries, body, bath and beauty products? But you think you need to go to university for three or four years and gain qualifications in cosmetic chemistry or chemical engineering — right?

Not so.

Not if your main aim in wanting to be a cosmetic chemist is to start your own cosmetics business and join this multi-billion dollar industry.

The most common myth in the cosmetic chemistry industry is that you need an expensive university education to start a business in the field of cosmetics manufacture.

This is the advice offered on one cosmetic chemistry related website: “Get a science degree. Unless you have a relative who started the company, you will need a college degree in science since most cosmetic firms require it. Preferred ones include degrees in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering.

“Consider getting an advanced degree. True, a 4-year college degree is all you need, but you can improve your chances of breaking into cosmetics by getting an advanced degree.”

In truth, you do not need a relative who started the company or an advanced degree to break into the cosmetic manufacturing industry.

It’s true that if you want to make cosmetic formulations from scratch, without any previous experience making cosmetics or access to recipes and manufacturing procedures, and you want to work for a big international cosmetics company, you will need formal cosmetic chemistry qualifications.

But if your main aim is to start your own cosmetics business (and make much more money than any cosmetic manufacturing company will ever pay you), you don’t need to step foot in any academic establishment, spend a minimum of three or four years studying, or spend tens of thousands of dollars in tuition fees.

Making cosmetics for retail sale is extremely lucrative. When you know the tricks of the trade and have access to the same formulations as the international manufacturers, most of the beauty products you can make will have profit margins of around 1000%. A $50 retail skincare product usually costs between 10 cents and $3 to make.

If you purchase professionally formulated recipes, and you can follow a basic cooking recipe, you can manufacture your own range of skincare, haircare, mineral makeup, etc. If you then decide you want to become more involved, once you’ve had a little practice and gain confidence you will easily be able to adapt these cosmetic chemistry formulations to create your own unique formulas – without the need for any degrees in cosmetic chemistry.

Cosmetic chemistry formulations include:

1. Shampoos and Conditioners for different hair types
2. Hairstyling Products — gels, sprays
3. Makeup — foundations, mineral formulas, lip colors, eyeliner, mascara, nail polish
4. Skincare — cleansers, toners, moisturizers, acne preparations, anti-aging preparations
5. Sunscreens — UV protection and self-tanning lotions
6. Baby Care Products — shampoo, baby bath and lotion
7. Men’s Products — shaving foam, aftershave
8. Hand Care — hand cleansers, hand scrub, moisturizing creams
9. Body and Bath Products — body butters and creams, shower gel, bath bombs
10. Toiletries — handwashes, deodorants

There are literally hundreds of different products that a cosmetic chemist can make. From this, hundreds more combinations can be made by the addition of a variety of essential oils and plant or fruit extracts.If you love the beauty industry and have always dreamed of creating your own cosmetics company, don’t delay — it’s fun, rewarding, prestigious and highly profitable.

Source by Sam Stein

It is a great idea for a business start up in these economically challenging times to sell your own knowledge and expertise as a consultant. Independent consulting is one of the fastest growing and most profitable business models around. More and more people are enjoying the independence and extra money it brings as well as the change in the quality of life through being in control of what you do and with whom you work.

People who earn their living through what they know or ‘knowledge professionals’ are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the corporate or employed environment they commonly occupy and find freelance or contract consultancy to be a rewarding change or additional career option. It is possible to continue working on your knowledge and expertise without all the bureaucracy of company or organizational employment and the unpleasantness of climbing the company’s greasy pole of ‘advancement’. Also, those who prefer not to operate full-time find they can grow in their skills, knowledge and ability while employed and can work from their home and in their own time.

The consulting business has grown exponentially for almost three decades now as individuals have become an indispensable part of the economy. As businesses work to change in ever-new commercial environments technologies it is very difficult for them to keep pace so those with specialist knowledge in particular areas of business are finding they are in increasing demand. organizations are relying on consultants.

So, what is a Consultant?
A consultant is someone who offers help to someone or a business trying to solve a problem. Consultants work in a specific field of knowledge and provide expert knowledge to help solve problems. This will be a field that you are most familiar with.

In theory almost anyone can be a consultant – as long as you have what a client wants. This usually means skill and knowledge to solve a problem. It is not necessary to be the world’s leading expert in a particular field. Nor do you need to have been in the same line of business yourself, nor any other kind.

Among other things you will need to be able to ’sell yourself’, and have a very good appreciation and understanding of how to solve the problem that needs to be solved. This is normally good knowledge combined with experience and good communication skills.

Take a look at what you are knowledgeable about. Look at what particular ‘problems’ other people – particularly employers you’ve had – what problems have they employed you to deal with? You may have worked for years in a particular area of knowledge and you may have special education training in this. So if you’ve worked in recruitment, or in managing events, or in training other people or have knowledge about a very specific aspect of business process or have a particular talent with financial or legal issues, then you certainly will have the kinds of knowledge that would be ‘bought in’ by clients. But there are lots of other areas of knowledge too that require consultants such as gardening and horticulture, education, farming, health and safety, marketing. In fact, it is possible to be a consultant in anything so long as you have the knowledge that a client wants and can solve their problem.

Some consultants require qualifications in their field to be seen as sufficiently skilled by certain trades and industries. For example, Engineers, computer programmers, fund raisers and sports professionals (among many others) are often required to have certain degrees and diplomas recognized by their professions as guaranteeing the necessary minimum standard of skill and expertise.

Select something which you know about and something which you like. Can you communicate the benefits of your skills to a lay person? Can you write about what you know in a way that is easy for a person to understand? Can you explain how your knowledge and skill could solve a problem. These are all essential talents you will need to have in addition to the basic knowledge of the area in which you are offering expertise.

Steps

Here are some steps that you’ll need to take to set up your consultancy
Define your market Before you do anything else. Who is it you are selling your consultancy and knowledge to and what do they want? Everything else rests on this. There is no point in doing anything until you can answer these questions. Where are the people you will be selling to and how do you know what it is they want. My point is this: however clever or knowledgeable you are about something is no guarantee that someone will pay you for it. So find out what they want first (related to your area of expertise of course) then go from there. This goes whether you are setting up as a sole trader or with others to create accompany. A mistake that many make is that they feel they are good at something and that the world owes them a living. Lots of businesses of all kinds go down the tubes for this reason. They invent or create a product and then look for someone to buy it. No! Look for something that people want then go away and create it!

Plan Once you have answered the above question, prepare your business plan. A business plan will help you work through your vision and strategy for keeping the business working. What is the rationale that your business can succeed? Provide evidence! What exactly are your products and services (you may have a main one but develop other ‘back end products too) What is it that you want to achieve by when. How much do you want to make be when. Be realistic and bold. What is your evidence that this figure can be reached. How are you going to market? What is your financial plan? Do you need to borrow? How will you convince lenders? There are lots more things that should should be in a plan and each of these needs to be unpacked and detailed. Brainstorm these, then start putting them to a time-line.

Make a space to work Where are you going to work from? Many sole traders start from home. This is a good idea as it keeps overheads down. But if you do this make sure you inform the insurers of your house as turning your home into a workplace without telling them will render your insurance null and void. Choose a space in your home that is comfortable and warm. Obviously you’ll need phone access, internet access, a place for your computer, files and books (consultants always have lots of books).

You may want to read some more articles at my website.

What about marketing?

If you don’t have clients or customers then you don’t have a business. Usually, it pays to ensure that you have some before you leave your paid employment. The next thing to do is to inform them that you are ready and available for work.

Your marketing should narrow in on you being the expert that people need to solve their problems. A good way to do this is publish a few articles on the internet with links to your site (you must have a site!) which answers a question related to your field (you could go to Answers.Yahoo.com and look for a question to answer. Show your practical value to your potential customers. People need to get the idea that you are an expert, the expert. There are tons of ways you can market yourself and get your name out there. Here are 7 things you need to be thinking about:

1. Networking. Going to events where your target market congregates is one of the most effective. You’ll need business cards if you go to these. Also be prepared to speak to a wide range of people with a wide range of potential issues they may be looking for answers to. Start with the people you already know – your former colleagues and bosses, your friends and existing industry contacts. If there are name badges make sure you have the right information on yours. Talk to as many people as you can and collect business cards. Online networks are also important. These are known as forums. Join the ones that form you target market. But don’t abuse these through blatant marketing or you’ll just get banned. Use these to build relationships

2. Ask for Referrals. If you get work and it’s successful ask your client for a referral or two. Normally people will be happy to recommend you. Ask for a quote you can put on your website. Even if the person to whom you are referred doesn’t have any work for you at the present time ask if they too could refer you to other potential clients.

3. Public presentations. Consultants are usually good at communicating. You need to be able to talk about your area of expertise to all sorts of people. Speaking at events offers a great opportunity to get your message out there. This can terrify some. But fear not. Practice with a friend what you want to say. Use visual aids to detract attention from yourself. Keep what you want to say short and to the point and ask the audience questions frequently to maintain attention and interest and interaction. Volunteer to offer them free information. Contact you chamber of commerce, organizations and forums in your locality. See what possibilities there are at local colleges, universities and libraries.

4. Adds and Articles. Try to get a short article in a publication or trade journal that your target market reads. This is good for your reputation and gets your message out there among potential purchasers. Make it interesting and engaging – not just an in-your-face advert. Approach a journalist or editor to write something for you. They are usually happy to have new information to provide. Put together a short e-book and put it on your website to sell.

5. Direct Mail. You can distribute direct mail as sales letters, ad mailings, or brochures. The thing is to create a document that attracts the attention or your recipient, engages their interest, provokes their curiosity ultimately compels them to take action. It is absolutely imperative that you emphasise the benefits that your client will receive as a result of buying your services. Concentrate less on everything else.

6. Cold Calling. Yes, I know – it sounds a pain and few people like it but don’t neglect it. Practice cold techniques. Learn the first names of the people you want to speak to so that it sounds to the gatekeepers – of which there will be plenty – that you know them. Understand that the person you assume is the decision maker may not be. It could be the person above or below them or even along from them! Make your aim of a call to get an appointment. Keep it short, keep it clear and do it early in the morning – sometimes the person you want to speak to will be in before the secretary and may well answer the phone instead.

7. Your website. It is true that much of your business will be generated from face to face relationships. Some think that this means you don’t really need a website. Think again! Your website is your presence on the web. A place for all those who don’t know a person who can solve their problem personally – so they look online. It’s a place where all those internet articles you are going to write can be stored so that people can see at a glance your expertise. It is a place where you offer back-end products and services, related business products and so on in addition to your consultancy service. Your site has the potential to send your income through the roof. Apart from having your contact details on there you absolutely must have lots of great copy (Yes, ’salescopy’), and for goodness sake have an opt-in section so that you can collect all the email addresses of people who are interested in what you do.

Source by Michael Anthony Paul Anderson

A small business computer-consulting firm can be set up once you are
clear about the economics of the venture, skills required for setting up shop and the various options available to start a business on your own.

Economics of a Computer Consultancy Business:
A typical billing rate for a small computer consultancy business would be in the range of $100 an hour. Setting a rate at this level would be appropriate for a start-up firm, as anything more would require you to move into the really big league with highly skilled sales and technical staff. Taking a 40-hour week with a 75% utilization rate, the billable time works out to 1500 hours a year. This yields gross revenue of $150,000 per year, which can typically be deployed as under:

Salary for Sales Executive: $40,000

Marketing Expenses: $10,000

Taxes, Insurance and Overheads: $50,000

Technical Staff salary: $50,000

Total $ 150,000

Skill Requirements:
Besides pure technical skill, setting up a computer consultancy business also requires business skills to ensure that you are up and running.

• o Data Management: A good knowledge of a spreadsheet program like Excel will help you to manage the data for your client and your own business.
• o Communicating Effectively: Good verbal and written communication skills are a definite asset. The ability to come across effectively on the phone while dealing with prospective clients and retaining them is essential. Hone your ability to write effective and grammatically correct emails. You may also be required to give presentations to small groups of people. Familiarity with packages like PowerPoint will be an added advantage in setting up effective presentations.
• Options for Setting Up:
  Essentially, there are two routes you can take when taking the decision to set up your home consultancy. Either you could decide to set up your business entirely on your own, or alternately you could buy into a franchise. Whichever course you decide to take, you must be prepared for some hard work, especially in the initial startup phase. You will be required to meet with prospective clients, follow up on the promising prospects personally and on the phone. The final decision will depend on how much time and financial capital you are prepared to invest in your venture.
• o Franchising: The franchiser will have certain rules and procedures that you will be expected to follow. You will also have to part with a fixed percentage of your revenue. If you are looking for independence and flexibility in running your business then you may not like to follow this route. Alternately, if you have the requisite capital, you could also consider buying up an existing business.
• o Starting Your Own Enterprise: Starting your own business can be done with a few thousand dollars, a home office, a business phone number and a business card. In addition, besides the legal licensing registrations, you may require an attorney and accountant.

Starting your own computer consulting business does require hard work initially. However, the rewards of being able to get your venture up and running would well be worth it.

Source by Alexander Gordon

Procurement consulting can be done on the Internet and many other companies provide consultation services for a fee. These consultants are usually experts in economics or related fields that can study, understand, and even predict the market trends. This makes them useful in the long term because they are capable of cutting costs for the company by providing legal and financial advice.

Buyers can wait for prices to go down or they can predict the prices, thus reducing the investment. This prediction needs to be accurate in order to have any effect on the cost of the commodity. Sometimes big companies and amateur entrepreneurs find it hard to predict prices, and consultants are hired in order to cut down the costs incurred due to procurement.

These consultants are usually experienced in all phases of purchasing and procurement consulting and focus on understanding the cost of the commodities that mostly drive the price of their supplies. This knowledge helps the buyer to negotiate prices and quality in order to bring down the cost.

E-procurement consultation is another field that is improving drastically, as new software and programs are developed in order to make the procurement process simpler and cost effective. Consultancy services are also useful for those who cannot afford losses due to financial constraints. Although many consultation firms have cropped up on the Internet, only effective research can guide a buyer to the right consultant.

Strategies can be made in order to negotiate and purchase goods at cost-effective rates. These strategies can only be effective if experts who can predict future prices and the ups and downs of the market form them. Thus, consultants can help buyers and bidders alike by saving time normally spent on negotiations and research.

Procurement consultants can not only save the company money, but also educate their clients about market trends and the scope of their client’s business venture.

Source by Alison Cole

Grant writing is attracting a lot of attention these days. More and more people are investigating how to supplement their income, or replace their day job altogether, by writing grants. I am often asked the question, how can I start my own grant writing consulting business? I would urge you to consider the matter very carefully. Making the transition is not as easy as it seems.

There are two major prerequisites one should have before marketing his or herself as an accomplished grant writer. These are having:

1) a track record of successful grant proposals; and
2) nonprofit knowledge and experience.

There are numerous people out there touting themselves as professional grant writers. Meanwhile, they have little to no field or nonprofit grant writing experience. They think because they are confident in their writing ability, or have a background in technical writing, that they would easily make the transition. Grant writing and technical writing are very different.

Grant writing is similar to technical writing in that you’re gathering information about various subject matters. As a grant writing consultant, you may have one client or multiple clients with varying missions and programs. Having a technical writing background will allow you to write about numerous subject matters with ease.

Grant writing is dissimilar to technical writing in that it is an emotional appeal. One has to be able to merge the technical side of the argument with the emotional side. People who give away money do so because they have an emotional or personal connection to a cause. It is the grant writer’s job to convince the grant or donor that their charity deserves the grant more than the dozens, hundreds, or thousands of other asking charities.

Anyone can print a business card and say they are capable of delivering such a product. However, I would dare to say, as a CEO or Executive Director of a nonprofit looking to outsource my grant writing the chances of me hiring someone with no track record, knowledge, or field experience would be close to zero. I have heard far too many horror stories about the unethical practices of people claiming to be professional grant writers. This behavior makes nonprofit leaders distrustful and resistant to the idea of outsourcing their grant writing.

If you are an experienced grant writer and you have the documentation to prove it, you can start your own home-based grant writing consulting business with very little start up costs. When I started 2 1/2 years ago, I developed a presentation folder that included:

1) a portfolio of foundations that had approved my proposals;
2) my bio with professional related experience;
3) a brochure listing the types of projects I had worked on; and
4) a postcard that highlighted the benefits of working with my company ($ secured to date, affordability, and free grants research).

I made a short presentation to a few people I knew who managed nonprofits. Then I used local grantee lists to start a database in order to send out advertisements. Each month I would mail a postcard to the nonprofits on my list and follow up with a phone call. I got my first few clients using this marketing strategy. Soon after, those clients began to refer their colleagues and the rest is history.

Source by Chataun Denis

Being a consultant, advisor, educator, information and knowledge provider to others (whether they are large or small businesses) means that you can make 6 and 7 figure incomes by simply selling your knowledge and expertise. And believe it or not you don’t have to be the world’s biggest expert on your topic.
You just need to be clear on ten basic things:

1. Find the demand for what you offer – you can do this by talking to other providers of the same solution as you offer. Or by going online and looking at the search results for the people typing in the problems you want to solve (at Google’s keyword Tool), or by asking those you think would want what you offer.

2. In order to become a business consultant, you need to be able to put out a message of what you are promoting to groups of potential buyers and face the possibility of rejection. It’s okay, that happens to us all – just don’t be afraid of it.

3. You need to be able to communicate the benefits of what you offer not just the features. That means what you customer will get as a result of your service or product not just the way in which you’ll provide it.

4. Network as much as you can and get the word around about what you offer. Try to communicate it in as interesting a way as you can

5. Invest in learning programmes on how to prospect, get leads and sell. See any expenditure on learning not as cost but as investment. It is essential that to become a business consultant and develop as one you must learn marketing techniques – online and offline.

6. Test as many ways of marketing as you can think of, not just printing cards and sending out brochures – (these won’t get business). Network, call people you know, start building a list of online prospects, join groups and associations.

7. Sell products as well as services – that means do public workshops, seminars, CDs and DVDs of your knowledge rather than just selling your time.

8. As a business consultant, you need to have an online presence. You don’t need a full-blown website. You just need a squeeze page or something that captures leads. That is a place people can go to that tells them what you do and for them to register their interest in what it is that you offer. You can supplement this with a profile on a social media site.

9. Write articles like this to drive people to that place. Get them to register their interest in your area of knowledge. Okay so you may not sell to them today but one they are on your list you can promote to them products and services you offer at any other time.

10. Build relationships and trust. Be patient with your customers and clients and listen to them carefully. What are their problems and pains that they are trying to solve. Don’t presume to know what they want until they communicate it to you. Then you are in a much better position to do business with them.

Okay, this isn’t everything there is to know about how to become a business consultant, it’s not comprehensive but they are really important things that I have learned over 14 years of responding to business needs. Hope they are helpful.

Source by http://www.start-a-consultancy.com

Big construction projects and the companies associated with these are always in need of heavy machinery and equipment for its smooth operations. With the costs of these machines and equipments sky rocketing, it becomes difficult for companies to purchase all of them. However hiring or leasing these equipments is a more feasible option and more than often these companies indulge in leasing these heavy equipments.

Cranes are an integral part of a construction business. Ranging from tower cranes to mobile cranes there are many types of cranes. Depending upon the necessity, there could be more than one variety that is required for a particular project. In such a scenario it becomes difficult to purchase all the models. Hence hiring heavy cranes is a simpler solution. There are many other advantages associated with hiring heavy cranes which are listed as below:

• Easy and stable flow of cash can be maintained as there is no need to block a large part of the investment in cranes.
• There is easy up gradation of models and variety of cranes as the supplier can be asked to supply the model as per requirement.
• With fierce competition, crane hire companies also provide customized payment options to their customers. This facilitates the construction companies to work out their payment and working capital modules.
• Hiring cranes can be more beneficial than taking bank loans for their purchase. Also the crane hire companies provide more flexibility
• As the cranes are under lease, their maintenance, repair and operations are handed by the supplier company thus easing the work load of the construction companies.

With these advantages at hand, it is prudent to hire heavy cranes than buying them and blocking your money. moreover the crane hire companies take regard of quality and service as this is their business and to build reputation, they have to be in the books of the construction companies that could provide them business by recommendations.

Source by Jim Johannasen