If you are seriously considering a career in financial consulting, you need to know the clients that you will be serving. These are the following:
1. Companies or business organizations. Business owners usually hire financial consultants when they need advice about pending government regulations, long-term viability, risk management, and industry trends. Typically, business owners have a solid idea as to how they would like to handle their finances but they want an independent opinion about it to reduce risks. The financial consultant is expected to review the proposed plan and determine its flaws. He will then make recommendations or offer his expert advice to help clients make well-informed decisions about their money.
2. Personal. Financial consultants may also be hired by individuals who have significant financial resources or investment portfolios. These consultants are expected to offer advice on taxation planning, risk assessment, income management, and long-term planning so clients can obtain maximum benefits with the lowest amount of possible risks. Consultants can also offer their services to couples who need financial advice. These types of clients usually look for advice regarding saving for retirement, saving for a college fund, mortgage rate, etc.
For financial consultants to perform what is expected of them, they must have a good basic college education. They must have a degree in economics, business, or education. It’s better if they have advanced business degree and financial adviser certification. They must also have at least 5-10 years experience in finance management. It would also help if they have also attended relevant trainings and seminars that can increase their knowledge in this field.
More and more people are now setting up their own consulting companies as this is one of the most lucrative ways to make money both in the online and offline arena. As clients have now several choices, the process of finding the best consulting company that will meet their needs and demands becomes a bit complicated and time-consuming.
Here’s how you can find the best consulting company without breaking a sweat:
1. The first thing that you need to do is to conduct your research. If you want to save some time, I recommend that you do it online. Visit forums, blogs, and discussion boards where people usually talk about their experiences with different consulting companies. List down 3-5 companies that were highly recommended and visit their website. By doing this, you’ll have an idea what these companies really offer and what sets them apart from the rest.
2. Inquire. Send email inquiry to the top 3-5 consulting companies. You can ask about their rates, the type of assistance that they can offer you (give them a brief background of your goals or pressing issues), etc. Go with the company that reply within 24 hours (the quicker, the better) and the company that obviously took time to answer your questions in details.
3. Ask for free consultation. Most consulting companies do not mind offering their potential clients with free consultations and even free consulting sessions. Take advantage of these so you can gauge if they are the right fit before you sign up. This is the best way to make sure that you’ll work with the company that has what it takes to take you to where you would like to be.
If you are reading this article, I am pretty sure that you would like to be a consultant. Here’s how you can get started:
1. The first thing that you need to do is to determine what kind of consultant you would like to be. Depending on your knowledge, educational background, and experiences, you can be a business, sales, information technology, or internet marketing consultant. If you are an expert on more than one field, I recommend that you go with the one that you are most about. You would want to do something that you love so you’ll stay motivated.
2. The next thing that you need to do is to determine where you want to work. Would you like to work for consulting firms or would you like to work as a freelance consultant in the online or offline arena? If you are just starting out, I recommend that you work for consulting firms first to get experience and to get easy access to potential clients.
3. Assess your skills. Do you have the necessary skills to become an effective consultant? If not, you may consider attending relevant trainings and seminars to develop or enhance certain skills which include analytical, communication, people, and teaching skills. These are very important so you can carry out your tasks more effectively.
4. Prepare. It would help if you can determine the most common problems of your potential clients and if you can research ahead of time. By doing so, you’ll be able to obtain relevant information that your clients will surely appreciate.
Think you know everything about freelance consulting jobs? Think again! Here are some things that you might find interesting.
1. Having a freelance consulting job doesn’t mean pure fun. I’ve read a lot of articles and other online resources that gave me the impression that once you sink you teeth into the field of consulting, you’ll have the greatest time of your life and earn thousands of dollars without breaking a sweat. Well, this isn’t necessarily true.
Being a consultant, I can tell you that this is one of the most overwhelming and sometimes, frustrating jobs especially if you are just starting out. You need to find your own clients (if you are a freelancer), you’ll work odd hours especially if your clients are coming from the other parts of the globe, and you’ll possibly spend more than 8 hours in front of your computer everyday if your clients are demanding.
2. Freelance consulting jobs will allow you to have direct control over your working hours and you’ll have more time with your family and with other things that you are very passionate about. Working as a home based consultant will not give you more time to spend with your family and with other things unless you only get one client per month. Well, you can actually choose. You may opt to get more projects to earn more money or spend more time with your family but get content with few hundred bucks every month.
3. Freelance consulting jobs will triple your earnings. This is only true if you have already established yourself in your chosen industry and if people are willing to spend thousands of dollars just to get your ideas and opinions.