Summarize this article in one sentence.
Organization and time management are key skills for any consultant. Before making any concrete changes, continue your day job while you consider some of the basics of working as a consultant. Answering some basic questions about how you envision your future business will go a long way in helping you to take action. Consider some of the following questions to help you decide if you still want to make the transition from a marketing professional to a freelance marketing consultant. What are your goals and reasons for wanting to go into consulting? If you do not have a strong vision for your business or a big enough motivation to keep it going, you may struggle to succeed as a consultant. Consider your short and long term goals before you make your decision. Do you need to get any sort of certification or special license? Depending on your sub-specialty within the marketing field, you may need some sort of certification or special license to work as a consultant. Check before you do anything else. Do you have enough experience to begin working as a marketing consultant? Clients want to hire consultants who are experienced and knowledgeable. Consider whether or not your work experience has prepared you to provide everything that your clients will need or if you need some more time to gain that experience. Do you have enough connections to begin working as a consultant? To have a career as a freelance marketing consultant, you will need to have plenty of potential clients to get started. Consider your potential clients and think realistically about whether or not you will be able to build your network. How organized are you? Organization is crucial for someone who works as a consultant because you will have to manage your time, your business, and your clients. Decide if you are organized enough to do all of these things. If you have determined that you will need a certification or special license to get started, make sure that you get the certification or license before you get started. Even if you do not need a certification or license, you may consider getting some sort of certification from a marketing organization to prove to your clients that you are legitimate. For example, you can get a special certification from the Sales & Marketing Professional Association or the American Marketing Association. These certifications will help to set you apart from your competition and instill confidence in your clients. It is important to know your target audience before you get started. Having a small niche will help you to get more clients than if you try to market your services to everyone. Try to focus on a very small group of people that you want to have as your clients. For example, a good narrow niche might be boutique owners in a trendy part of town in your city, or local medical professionals who are just beginning to build their careers. Branding is important because it helps you to maintain a standard of service and draw new clients to your business. When you are developing your brand, you should be thinking about your clients and what they expect from you. As you work and advertise your services, make sure that everything you are putting forth is in line with the brand that you want to establish. For example, if you want to attract small boutique owners, you might be expected to understand fashion and present yourself in a stylish manner. Therefore, your logos, text, and personal appearance should reflect these things. Keep in mind that it takes time and continuous effort to develop and establish your brand, so be patient. Determining what to charge your clients can be difficult. The best way to decide on rates is to look at what your competition charges for their services and make your rates competitive with theirs. That way you know that you will not be at a disadvantage for clients based on your rates and it will also take the guesswork out of developing your rates. Some marketing consultants may list their services and rates online, but if not, you can also call to get their rates. Call around to the marking consultants or firms in your area and ask them to send you a brochure detailing their services and rates. Becoming a freelance marketing consultant can be a little intimidating and you may struggle to find enough clients. If you are not sure if you want to enter the world of market consulting alone, consider working through a marketing consultancy firm to give yourself more security. No matter what route you choose to follow in your path towards becoming a marketing consultant, it is important for you to network constantly. The more that you network and build up your client base, the easier it will be for you to work as a marketing consultant when you are ready to make the transition.
Develop a plan. Acquire necessary certifications and licenses. Establish a niche for yourself. Develop a brand for yourself. Research other marketing consultants' rates. Consider contract work with a larger marketing consultancy firm. Network as often as possible.