Consulting is big business these days. And it's an excellent way to turn your knowledge and experience into big bucks. Whether you’re a computer whiz, a business expert or a fundraising dynamo, your special skills are in high demand. Capitalize on your talents by offering them to businesses ranging from small startup firms to Fortune 500 corporations--at a price! Many consultants make $1,500 or more a day!

No matter what your area of expertise, our guide will tell you everything you need to know to start your own successful consulting business. In addition to overviews of 20 top consulting businesses, it provides practical solutions and proven strategies to help you get your consulting service off the ground. In this step-by-step guide, you'll discover how to:

The Right Stuff

What is a consultant? The dictionary defines a consultant as “an expert in a particular field who works as an advisor either to a company or to another individual.” Sounds pretty vague, doesn’t it? But unless you’ve been in a coma for the past decade, you probably have a good idea what a consultant is.

Businesses certainly understand what consultants are and what their value is. According to the online statistical source Biz-Stats.com, U.S. businesses spent nearly $28 billion on consulting services in 2003, while Plunkett Research Ltd. reports that worldwide consulting revenues were $115 billion. And since at least 60 percent of all businesses use independent contractors such as consultants (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics), you can see that the market is wide open for new consultants in virtually every industry.

Click Here to Download Chapter One