Written for the business manager of middle or senior rank who is contemplating a career move from corporate to self-employment, as well as redundant or retired executives seeking to capitalize on their experience and expertise, this book describes how to set up a consultancy practice with little financial outlay and take advantage of a growth market.;Emphasis is given to the need to market the consultancy, and low-budget methods of promotion to create a client base are described. The preparation of proposals, the conduct of assignments, and the importance of presenting subsequent recommendations that will satisfy client needs and lead to recommendations and referrals is discussed. B.H. Elvy is the author of "Marketing Made Simple" and "Salesmanship Made Simple.

Knowledge is the great fifth production factor in our economy, besides capital, labour, land, and entrepreneurship. Perhaps it is the most precious of the five factors, because it takes so much effort and money to keep it well-nourished. Perhaps it is the most strategic of the five factors, because we depend on it to develop business, the economy, and the world at large in a balanced and sustainable direction. Knowledge is certainly one of the least understood factors and one of the hardest to grasp. This book concerns the largest pool of knowledge, which is professional knowledge. This form of knowledge, albeit being very close to business practice, is nonetheless least understood of all. Economists have tried to grasp the knowledge factor, measuring and assessing it in terms of the pools of R&D-expenditures, patented innovations, licences, and other forms of knowledge that can be documented. The pool of professional knowledge is not among these, because it is tacit. It can only exist in our head; it is intrinsically tied to people --the professionals. Professional knowledge is the articulation of scientific and documented knowledge, and the individual experience and dexterity of individuals. It is for this reason that it is so hard to grasp; while for this very same reason, it is so close to the life of business, to the shopfloor of our advanced economies.

In 1980, only 10 business incubators existed in the United States. By 1995 there were nearly 500, and a new incubator is opening every week. Despite the rapid growth, the success of business incubators has been mixed at best. "Growing New Ventures, Creating New Jobs" provides sponsors, boards, and the management teams of business incubation programs with proven strategies for enhancing the creation and development of new ventures and ensuring the success of programs that support business growth and development.

Business creation experts Jana B. Matthews and Mark P. Rice explain the three key principles of successful business incubation; the 10 best practices for starting, developing, and managing a business incubation program; ways to attract high-quality entrepreneurs; the litmus test to determine an incubator's feasibility; and many hands-on examples from the directors of some of the country's top business incubators. Incubators have helped to create more than 82,000 new jobs in communities throughout the United States, and they foster the entrepreneurial spirit that is the lifeblood of the economy. "Growing New Ventures, Creating New Jobs" gives business, university, and government leaders a blueprint incubator program for invigorating the regional economy.

The story of McKinsey & Co., America's most influential and controversial business consulting firm, "an up-to-date, full-blown history, told with wit and clarity" ("The Wall Street Journal").
If you want to be taken seriously, you hire McKinsey & Company. Founded in 1926, McKinsey can lay claim to the following partial list of accomplishments: its consultants have ushered in waves of structural, financial, and technological change to the nation's best organizations; they remapped the power structure within the White House; they even revo-lutionized business schools. In "The New York Times "bestseller "The Firm," star financial journalist Duff McDonald shows just how, in becoming an indispensable part of decision making at the highest levels, McKinsey has done nothing less than set the course of American capitalism.
But he also answers the question that's on the mind of anyone who has ever heard the word McKinsey: Are they worth it? After all, just as McKinsey can be shown to have helped invent most of the tools of modern management, the company was also involved with a number of striking failures. Its consultants were on the scene when General Motors drove itself into the ground, and they were K-Mart's advisers when the retailer tumbled into disarray. They played a critical role in building the bomb known as Enron.
McDonald is one of the few journalists to have not only parsed the record but also penetrated the culture of McKinsey itself. His access puts him in a unique position to demonstrate when it is worth hiring these gurus--and when they're full of smoke.

As highly skilled workers retire, what happens to their wealth of experience? This book explores the concept of skills drain, looking at how key competencies can be identified and then transferred from experienced workers to novices. It looks at the innovative solutions managers are seeking to ensure that their workers are sufficiently trained, and then develops a protocol for doing so. Founded in academic theory, but with applications for practice, this book presents case studies and research in a valuable addition to the field of management. It will be a useful reading for academics studying high-risk industries, management and organization, as well as practitioners, managers and trainers.

The Template-based management (TBM) approach has been used since 2003 across the world in diverse contexts. It has evolved hand-in-hand with the evolution of business: Agile, Blueprints, Canvas, Design Thinking, or Kanban are only few of the many current concepts based on the approach. This book expands and upgrades the author's 2003 book 'Template-driven Consulting' (Springer) by tracing this evolution and offering the current state-of-the-art to practitioners. TBM combines structure and method: pre-structuring diverse processes, it helps to present complex activities and procedures in a simple, clear, and transparent manner and then implement them. The use of TBM ranges from conception or creative work in agencies to designing organizations and strategies, planning and monitoring initiatives and projects, to innovation management and optimizing cost structures, processes, or entire departments and divisions. The book also demonstrates how successful organizations use TBM to methodically and structurally apply the internal know-how in a cost and time-optimal way for attaining sustainable business success. Readers will learn to apply and use TBM, identify its importance, and benefit from a variety of case studies that illustrate the application and use for the entire business and management practice.

""I wish this book had been available when I began my independent career. There's only one word for it - PRICELESS ""

-Shay McConnon, psychologist, trainer, coach, magician and mentor

""Grounded in common-sense and humour and very clear about what can send you off track."

- Norman Walker, former global head of Human Resources for Novartis, now an independent senior executive coach and consultant on leadership

"A"MUST read, for anyone thinking about life outside the organisation""

- Goran Hultin former Deputy Director General at the ILO (International Labour Office), now a successful independent consultant

""

HOW TO WORK FOR YOURSELF AND MAKE IT WORK

Are you thinking of starting up on your own and working for yourself? Do you need to know the nuts and bolts of setting up; marketing yourself and prospecting for new business; keeping things running on a day-to-day basis? Have you already made the leap and want to get more work, new clients, higher fees? This practical, no-nonsense book pulls no punches and gives you all the guidance you need to set yourself up and get work in the first place, plus all the know-how you need to survive, prosper and expand once you're up and running.

See the book's website at www.pearson-books.com/startinguponyourownfor up-to-the minute financial and tax information for small businesses and the self-employed.

This book was previously known as "Smarter Consulting."

IF YOU NEVER WANT TO WORK FOR SOMEBODY ELSE AGAIN, YOU NEED "STARTING UP ON YOUR OWN "

Chances are that if you're looking at this book you are at least thinking about taking the big step of going it alone. Or you're already in business as an independent and you want to get better at it. Well, you've come to the right place. "Starting Up On Your Own" covers everything you need to get ready to work for yourself and, once you've taken the plunge, how to develop your business and stay the course.

If you're not already in business, the first step is to decide if this is the right path for you. To help you with this critical decision, this book takes you through the reality of what's involved and has a unique self-assessment quiz to help you check out your suitability for the independent working lifestyle.

You're probably an expert in your chosen field. That's great: you'll be selling your expertise. But when you're working for yourself you have to be good at a whole lot of other things too. "Starting Up On Your Own" covers everything you need to do to make money and survive as an independent.

* Where do I start?

* How should I market myself?

* How can I get repeat business from my clients?

* How do I win new clients?

* What should I charge and what do I need to do to make sure I get paid on time?

* When can I put up my fees? (And when shouldn't I?)

* Can I work from home?

* How much will I need to invest?

* Should I hire someone else to work for me?

* How shall I organise my time?

The answers to all these questions and more are right here. What are you waiting for?

Mike Johnsonbegan life as an independent, freelance consultant in 1982, before founding a corporate communications firm in Brussels and London, following a career in journalism and corporate communication for multinational corporations. In 1999 he started again as an independent consultant and freelance. This book is about what he has learned on his freelance journey. His focus today centres around the world of work, talent management and corporate communication for both private and public organizations The author of eleven books on business and management issues, including "Winning the People Wars," "Talent Magnet" and "The New Rules of Engagement," Mike also developed a series of World of Work studies for the "Financial Times" and "The Economist""and for many international corporations and consulting firms." A frequent speaker at conferences and seminars around the globe, he is the founder and chairman of the independent global think-tank the FutureWork Forum (www.futureworkforum.com). Oh, yes, he's also quite good at working for himself

Write award-winning grant proposals that build organizational capacity!

For nonprofit and for-profit firms alike, grants can be a singular generator of growth and impact. But many leaders are intimidated and confused by the sometimes-complex grant application process. The truth, however, is that anyone can learn to write and send a powerful grant letter with the right help.

In Grant Writing For Dummies, Dr. Beverly Browning draws on over four decades of experience writing grant applications and training grant writers to deliver a comprehensive and easy-to-follow roadmap to drafting and submitting grant applications that get funded. You’ll learn to craft the strongest application possible, find the best sources of funding from online databases, and present a realistic project budget plan.

You’ll also find:

• Example types of funding requests that demonstrate how to apply the concepts discussed in the book
• New and updated material walking you through the entire grant-writing process, from beginning to end
• Writing techniques that capture the imaginations of grant reviewers who decide which applicants walk away empty-handed and which ones receive cash

Whether you’re looking to fund your nonprofit, grow your business, or develop your research venture, you’ll find the guidance you need in Grant Writing For Dummies.

Leadership is currently one of the most hotly discussed topics in business. This is the first book to not only identify the characteristics of successful leadership but to show how these qualities can be developed.

The Reflecting Glass surveys the field of executive coaching, including its origins, the theoretical framework underpinning it, the forms it can take and the value it adds.

Based on the experience of two leading practitioners and with contributions from other key players it provides a detailed methodology for working one-to-one with people at the top of organisations in order to help them become fully effective.

Executive coaching has experienced exponential growth over the last five years but as yet there has been little critical appraisal of the activity. This book provides that critique. By describing and benchmarking good practice, The Reflecting Glass will be a valuable tool for those in leadership positions considering executive coaching for themselves, as well as the HR professional.

A New Brand of Expertise uniquely clarifies the dynamics of the red-hot "free agent" workplace and teaches the new skills and employment strategies independent professionals must master to succeed. In today's quick and turbulent markets, companies often need specialized professional talent on an interim basis to solve specific business problems, a major trend creating huge opportunities and an alternative career track for many professionals. A New Brand of Expertise clarifies for independent professionals why companies need interim talent and how to develop a skill set that matches market needs. Readers will learn effective methods for uniquely marketing and branding themselves in order to develop a sustainable and successful free agent career.

A study of trends in management consulting at the beginning of the new millennium. The contributions are divided into three sections addressing: the consulting industry; trends and techniques in management consulting; and reflections on management consulting.

The need to train consultants in superior client-oriented skills will become a key to success in a growing but highly competitive industry. The Competitive Consultant makes an original contribution to this area through an empirically based model of consultancy roles. At the heart of this very practical '1+7' model is the assumption that the role of expert can only be effectively played when seven additional roles have been mastered, because of the complex and uncertain nature of client-consultant processes. This book will be of value to aspiring and practicing consultants and to their trainers.

The authors of this book alert that professional services like law, accountancy, and consultancy firms are set to face major disruption. The most important driver and enabler are the new technologies that help and in part substitute the work done by professionals. The second important disruptor is the new generation of professionals - "NewGen" - who are less interested in building their careers in a hierarchical organization and more interested in entrepreneurial challenges in small teams, with more rapid returns. In the meanwhile, major service conglomerates - the "big four" accounting firms, the "big three" consulting firms to name a few examples - build their network using their brand and substantial resources. All along, the relentless pressure from clients to receive more services at lower cost continues. Medium-sized professional firms as well as one-person independents appear to suffer most from these disruptions and are most anxious to find new ways to conduct their business. But the leaders of large firms also feel that they are increasingly unable to support the innovative entrepreneurship of their most promising professionals while their organizations institutionalize and their overheads continue to grow. This book proposes a new orientation and model of a professional service firm as an answer to these challenges, by creating a Professional Service Community. It is a synergistic team of organizations that share a vision of their role in society and main lines of their mission as well as the quality of their deliverables and their key clients. At the same time, they are independent in designing their internal business models - like recruitment, training, knowledge management, and economics. The Professional Service Community provides a unique and highly attractive level of entrepreneurship, flexibility, and efficiency to the benefit of its clients, partners, staff, and other stakeholders. It is the way of the future.

Is your organisation prepared? In an increasingly volatile world, exemplified by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, organisations are looking at business continuity with a fresh perspective. While most organisations believe they are prepared for disruption, COVID-19 has proved otherwise. The need for business continuity has never been clearer. If you were hit by a cyber attack and lost the use of your IT systems, would you be able to carry on? If your business premises were forced to close, what would you do? If you were affected by unexpected staff absence, how could you reassure your customers that you can still offer them the service they expect? Being unprepared can lead to financial and reputational damage, which could prove disastrous. You could fail to keep up with customer demand or lose important business, or your customers could go elsewhere. Without a proper risk assessment strategy, your company directors could even face prosecution if a major incident occurs and results in loss or injury. An introduction to ISO 22301 To minimise the impact of a disaster on your business, and to continue to provide essential services to your customers, you need to put in place a BCMS (business continuity management system). This pocket guide will help you understand the basics of business continuity and ISO 22301:2019, the international standard that describes the specification for a BCMS. It covers: What business continuity is; Key terms and definitions; A brief history of business continuity management; The BCMS; ISO 22301 BCMS requirements; and Certification. ISO 22301:2019 - An introduction to a business continuity management system (BCMS) provides an easy-to-read and straightforward introduction to a BCMS that business continuity managers, compliance managers, C-suites and disaster recovery planners - or any organisation implementing, or considering implementing, an ISO 22301 BCMS - will find valuable.

A volume in Research in Management ConsultingSeries Editor Anthony F. Buono, Bentley UniversityThe tenth volume in the Research on Management Consulting series-Client-ConsultantCollaboration: Coping with Complexity and Change-draws on papers presented at theAcademy of Management's Management Consulting Division International Conferenceon this theme in Copenhagen, Denmark in June 2007. The volume presents twelve chaptersthat explore a broad range of questions and concerns that illustrate the scope andcomplexity of the consultant-client relationship. The chapters illustrate the richness and excitement that takes place notonly in research on consulting but also in its application as the various empirical analyses of consulting in practice portray.

* Provides a step-by-step guide for completing a successful student consulting project, which should be essential reading for specific experiential Business Consulting modules, as well as recommended reading for students studying Small Business Management and Strategic Management at postgraduate and MBA level. * Fully updated 6th edition, including new tools and resources, new real-life examples, material on technologies and remote working, and a focus on student employability. * Promotes a conceptual understanding of the consulting process.

More than 15 million people in this country earn their livings by serving clients, and their numbers are growing every day. Unfortunately, far too few develop the skills and strategies needed to rise to the top in a world where clients have almost unlimited access to information and expertise. Supported by more than one hundred case studies and wisdom gleaned from interviews with dozens of leading CEOs and prominent business advisors, Clients for Life identifies what clients really want and lays out the core qualities that distinguish the client advisor -- an irreplaceable resource -- from the expert for hire -- a tradable commodity.

• Experts are specialists; advisors become deep generalists who have broad perspective.
  
• Experts are for hire; advisors have selfless independence, balancing client devotion with objectivity and detachment.
  
• Experts have professional credibility; advisors develop deep personal trust.
  
• Experts analyze; advisors synthesize and bring big-picture thinking to the table.
  
• Experts supply expertise and information; advisors are educators who provide insight and wisdom.
  

Portraits of history's most famously successful advisors, including Machiavelli, Sir Thomas More, and J. P. Morgan, underscore these timeless qualities that modern professionals need to develop to excel in today's competitive environment.

This book is a substantial re-write of the author's earlier book on management consultancy that has established itself as a leading book on this topic. This re-write focuses upon the analysis of the impact of e-business on the consulting industry as well as examining the changing structure of the industry and emerging segmentation. It also includes recent material on the efforts of consulting firms to manage knowledge more effectively and includes new and more examples and interviews.