Starting a home-based consulting business is a great idea if you are skilled and certified in a particular field and wish to be independent. You can plan your time as you wish, take a vacation whenever you want and, what’s more tempting, you can get rid of the stressful daily commute to work.
However, you should be aware than in quitting your job to start a home-based business, you also give up a secure source of income. You are solely responsible to find paying clients and earn enough money to cover all your expenses (and still have something left for your hobbies). Every potential entrepreneur must ask a simple question before starting their business: can I find clients who will pay for my products or services?
Thankfully, there are a lot of potential clients for a consulting business. Be it accounting, tax, or marketing, consultancy is a widely popular business idea. And since this kind of service is of an ongoing type, you can be sure that once you have created a customer base, you will stay in business for a long time.
But how can you find those first customers and start making money? Here are a few useful and simple ideas:
1. Use Your Network for Word of Mouth
You certainly have former employers, colleagues, friends and acquaintances in your social network. Start by letting them know that you are opening a home-based consulting business and ask them to recommend you to people they know or work with who may be interested in your services.
This type of initial word of mouth marketing is very important to appreciate the prospective success of your business. Here is the reason why: people will give recommendations if they really believe in you and your potential. Currently, no one risks their business reputation by recommending you “because he’s a great pal” even if they are not sure that you would do a good job. Getting wholeheartedly recommended and endorsed means that you are really good at what you are doing.
2. Start Guest Blogging to Build Reputation
Find a popular blog in your specialized niche and ask or pay to guest blog. It is a worthwhile investment (in the range of tens of dollars, no more) because you manage to achieve two different things:
You start building your reputation as a knowledgeable person whose advice can be trusted and sought;
You can promote your website and your social media accounts in the Author Bio section.
3. Cold Calling and Emailing Is Not Dead
Round up some small businesses you would like to do business with and pitch your services through a well-penned email. You can then follow up with a phone call and try to obtain at least a video call with one of the managers to give them a full presentation of your offer.
4. Social Media Marketing
Be an active presence on the social media, find and engage followers with useful and interesting content and use Facebook ads as well. This is one of the most frequently used ways of promoting home-based businesses and it works very well, no matter how many other entrepreneurs are doing it at the same time. Believe in yourself and in the value you bring your clients and you will manage to send through a powerful and persuasive message.
It is not easy being your own boss. You are not just the only one to enjoy the success, but also the only one to bear the responsibility for earning your money. Be confident and willing to work hard, and you will succeed.