Starting a consulting business is a significant commitment. You will invest years of hard work, dedication, and passion into transforming your business into reality.
Every decision you make along the way will either propel your business toward success or push it toward failure.
One of the critical early decisions is selecting the right tools and processes for your consulting business.
In the initial stages, it’s not only about choosing effective tools, it’s about finding the right combination of resources that meet your business needs, fit within your budget, and can grow with you.
The “right” consulting toolkit is about staying as lean and adaptable as possible as you establish your niche and build your client base.
Let’s explore the essentials of setting up your consulting business quickly and efficiently without wasting your precious time and money.
But first… what is a Consulting Toolkit?
A consulting toolkit consists of software, processes, and resources you use to manage your business, deliver services, and communicate with clients.
The toolkit should cover (at least) three categories:
- Client Management: Tools for handling client relationships, project details, and communication.
- Operations: Tools for managing administrative tasks, finances, and scheduling.
- Service Delivery: Tools to ensure efficient and professional delivery of your services.
While selecting the right tool is essential, it doesn’t need to be overly complex in the beginning.
You may have heard of the concept of an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) in product development; the same principle applies to your toolkit.
The Lean Consulting Toolkit
Here’s a streamlined consulting toolkit to help you launch your consulting business swiftly:
Google Workspace: a cloud-based suite of productivity and collaboration tools, including Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and more, designed to streamline workflows and enhance communication for businesses and individuals.
What you can do:
- Set up your custom email address
- Create booking pages and simplify scheduling meetings with clients
- Use Google Meet to host video meetings
- Store files and share documents with Google Drive
- And much more…
Atlas: a collaborative workspace for consultants and coaches. Atlas brings you and your clients closer with collaborative workspaces, project templates, integrated workflows, file sharing, time-tracking and more.
What you can do:
- Plan, manage, and deliver your services all in one place.
- Invite teammates or external partners to work together.
- Consolidate all project communications into a single platform.
- Share updates, docs, and information, and deliver a premium experience for your clients.
- Track and display the real-time progress of your projects.
- Offer a secure, password-protected environment for better transparency and communication.
Miro: an online collaborative whiteboard platform designed to facilitate brainstorming, planning, and project management through real-time, interactive visual tools and templates for remote and in-person teams.
What you can do:
- Facilitate interactive brainstorming with clients and teams.
- Conduct engaging virtual workshops and training sessions.
- Develop mind maps to organize ideas and strategies.
- Plan and visualize strategic initiatives and business processes.
- Use visual tools to identify and solve business challenges.
- Create and share interactive project documentation.
DocuSign: an electronic signature platform that enables secure, digital signing, sending, and management of documents, streamlining workflows and eliminating the need for physical signatures.
What you can do:
- Facilitate quick and secure signing of client contracts.
- Streamline the approval process for proposals and project plans.
- Ensure confidentiality with easy-to-sign Non-Disclosure Agreements.
- Monitor the status of sent documents in real time.
- Enable clients to sign documents from anywhere, supporting remote consultations.
- Ensure legal and regulatory compliance with secure, verifiable electronic signatures.
- Reduce paper usage and storage by digitizing document processes.
- Save time on administrative tasks by automating document workflows.
LinkedIn: a professional networking platform where individuals and businesses connect, share industry insights, and explore job opportunities.
What you can do:
- Networking: Connect with industry professionals and potential clients.
- Lead Generation: Identify and reach out to potential clients or business partners.
- Brand Building: Establish and enhance your professional brand by sharing insights and content.
- Thought Leadership: Publish articles and posts to demonstrate expertise and attract followers.
- Job Opportunities: Find consulting gigs or full-time opportunities through job listings.
- Market Research: Gather insights and trends from industry groups and discussions.
- Client Testimonials: Showcase recommendations and endorsements from past clients.
- Professional Development: Participate in courses and webinars to enhance skills.
- Collaborations: Connect with other consultants for joint projects or partnerships.
- Event Promotion: Promote webinars, workshops, and other professional events.
Namecheap: a domain registration and web hosting company that offers affordable domain names, web hosting services, SSL certificates, and other internet-related services.
What you can do:
- Secure a professional domain name for your consulting website.
Get Started Now
Choosing your toolkit as a new consultant is crucial, but it shouldn’t be a roadblock.
Start with a lean setup you’re comfortable with, allowing you to test your services quickly without getting boffed down by excessive tools or frameworks.
The tools listed above are an excellent starting point, though not all may be necessary from day one.
Ultimately, you should be able to launch your services with just a domain, a website, and an email setup.
Once your lean toolkit is in place, focus on what truly drives your consulting business. A lean toolkit can still be powerful and efficient, ensuring no shortcuts are taken in delivering quality services.
