How to become a consultant Identify your area of expertise, set goals, create a website, get certified, choose a target market, decide where you will work, create your offers, set your rates. Keep in mind that there are really no consultant degree requirements or the best degree for business consulting. Having a formal degree in business or another relevant area can help you build your credibility, but it's definitely not a requirement. My highest degrees are in English and comparative literature, neither of which is particularly relevant to my consulting work.
With more than a decade of experience under my belt, now seems like a good time to reflect on what has led us to success and, whenever possible, to offer a shorter and smoother path for anyone who wants to start a consulting business. A niche is often a good starting point for determining how to start a consulting business, whether it's human resources (managing a company's workforce, including sourcing, selecting, hiring, and ensuring compliance), strategy (improving performance, perhaps through workflow management), technology (delivery and implementation of new software solutions), or some other consulting service that helps other companies improve and grow. I'm including it in this post because it's really worth starting the process early if you don't just want to become a consultant, but really build a thriving, long-term consulting business. If you have experience and knowledge to offer and you like the idea of being your own boss, then you could be about to start your own consulting business.
Simply understanding that nugget alone can make the difference between success and failure when you're starting out in consulting. Starting any type of business is a challenge, but starting a business where your goal is to help others manage theirs more efficiently is doubly challenging.
