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After being laid off, I’m considering leveraging my extensive expertise in a specific management field to start my own consulting business.

Elaine Varelas advises on things to consider when launching a consulting business.

Ask the Job Doc. Boston.com

By Elaine Varelas

Q.  I was laid off and I have deep experience in a particular area of management, so I am thinking about starting my own consulting firm. Am I crazy or can I actually make that work?


A. When people lose their jobs, it is in their best interest to consider the widest range of next steps, including being open to searching for new roles and looking into new industries. Starting a consulting firm and approaching the job search with this new, broader view is very positive. One of the most challenging things that people who are interested in consulting forget is that though you may have an amazing level of expertise in that area, if you are not capable of sales, you will not be successful. You will need to partner with someone who is experienced in both marketing and sales who can highlight your expertise and who can help you generate the volume of business that will provide the financial rewards that you hope to gain.

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When you partner with someone experienced in sales,  recognize that you will need to share the financial success with whoever you partner with. Having expertise alone is not enough, and many people assume that having the expertise is enough to run a successful consulting firm and gather customers who know you and the level of your work. There are many books on creating a consulting firm, using social media for marketing, developing a business plan, setting appropriate fees, and building strong customer relationships. But even if all of those are done at the expert level, if you cannot sell yourself, that path may not be what you hoped for. And if you don’t like selling, consulting may be challenging for you. What many successful consultants will tell you is they spend as much time selling as they do consulting. If you’re not good at sales, then all the expertise you have may not be enough.

When considering a career in consulting, don’t overlook other consulting organizations that may have sales staff to handle that aspect of the job for you. In these roles, your primary responsibility is to use your expertise to deliver the knowledge you possess, and retain the customer through delivering a great result and personal attention. Remember, consulting is not limited to starting your own business; there are numerous opportunities to consult through temporary staffing firms or work for organizations with established consulting practices, potentially in your area of expertise. There are many large-scale management consulting firms based in Boston, such as the Boston Consulting Group. See links below. Another option to consider is management consulting marketplaces, which can be a good source of new opportunities for consultants. One based in Boston is Catalant, a platform that connects companies to vetted independent consultants for right-sized engagements where proven expertise is required.

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Recognize that these options are just one path. You may find that starting a plan to start a consulting firm might be something that you’d like to do while you also look for temporary, part-time, or full-time jobs. Continue to give yourself as many options as possible to find your way back to employment.

L.E.K. Consulting: L.E.K. Consulting provides management consulting services in a variety of fields.

Bain & Company: Bain & Company is a management consulting firm. They advise leaders on strategy, marketing, organization, operations, IT and M&A, across all industries.

Boston Consulting Group (BCG): BCG is a global management consulting firm that partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities.

Catalant: Catalant is a freelance marketplace. It connects users’ businesses to independent consultants and subject-matter experts who execute critical work for them.