Contents |
Computer Weekly Professional Series
1 Consultancy – a major opportunity for IT professionals
1.1 Consultancy: the opportunity
1.2 Changes brought by the Internet and the Web
2.1 Must haves for the IT consultant
2.1.3 Sense of adventure and bags of energy
2.1.5 Realistic view of your business potential
2.3 Self-test on the characteristics necessary for IT consulting
3 Setting up your IT consultancy business
3.3 To be or not to be a company
3.4 The awkward question of capital
3.9 What can the Internet do for you?
4.1 Core competence or expertise
4.2.1 Creative or lateral thinking assignments
4.2.2 Experiences-based assignments
4.2.5 Responsibility assignments
4.3 Key areas of IT consulting opportunity
4.3.3 Data warehousing and mining
4.3.5 Client-server applications
4.3.6 Customer relationship management (CRM)
4.3.8 m-Commerce (or mobile commerce)
4.3.10 Local and wide area networks
4.3.18 Product or industry specialist
4.3.20 e-Business opportunities
4.3.21 e-Business model development
4.3.27 Computer telephony integration (CTI)
4.3.28 Business process reengineering (BPR)
4.3.29 Strategic IS planning (SISP)
4.3.30 Business continuity planning (BCP)
4.4 The Consultancy Opportunity Matrix
4.5 Consultancy Opportunities by Industry Matrix
5.1 Generally don't do the same as everybody else
5.2 Even world famous experts get it wrong!
5.3 There is no infallible way
5.4 Differentiator versus cost leader
6 Finding clients for your IT consulting business
6.1 Entrepreneurship – the name of the game
6.2 Entrepreneurship is not enough
6.3 From business strategy to marketing strategy
6.5 Have a clearly defined IT offering
6.6 Express the value of the offering in a marketing document or brochure
6.7 Ensure that your message gets into the right hands
6.8 Making your competence clear to your prospect clients
6.9 What is your target market?
6.10 Finding your target clients
6.12 Clinching the deal with a contract
6.13 What the Internet can do for you
7 Planning the IT consultancy assignment
7.1 IT consultant as a welcome friend
7.3 Cooperation with staff is vital
7.7 A project management network chart
7.9 Project work breakdown chart
7.10 Making sure resources are available
8 Delivering results for the client
8.1 IT consultancy assignments change
8.2 Active benefit realization
8.4 Welcome change suggestions
8.6 Complements traditional project management
9.1 Making and maintaining personal contact
9.2 Joining a group such as the Computer Society
9.3 Placing your name on a Web list
9.4 Speaking at conferences and seminars
9.7 Playing a role in the community
9.8 Looking for more work with an existing client
9.9 Have your client recommend you to suppliers and/or clients
9.10 Remember what the Internet can do for you
10 Consulting and finding a product to sell
10.1 Making money as an IT consultant
10.3 The independent consultant
11.2 Fixed priced jobs can be undercosted
11.3 Losing control over cash flow
11.4 The flavour of the month or of the year
11.5 Not understanding the risk facing your organization
12.1 Keeping your business going is the real challenge
12.2 Remember why you started your own business
12.3 Money versus quality of life
12.4 Nurturing a sustainable client relationship
12.4.1 IT consultants are offered jobs
12.5.1 Understanding how your business is doing
12.6 Creating a sustainable working regime
12.6.1 How many hours per week do you need to work?
12.6.2 How many weeks a year vacation will you take?
12.6.3 How long do you think your working life will be, i.e. when do you want to retire?
12.6.4 What do you expect to do about your pension?
12.6.5 How will you handle being ill?
12.6.6 When do you engage your first employee and should this be another consultant?
12.6.7 When do you need to look for a partner?
12.7.1 Growing from strength to strength