How to Start a Location-Independent Consulting Business (Greatest Hits)
Nov 2, 2023
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Paul Minors, a productivity blogger and consultant from New Zealand, shares his journey of starting a location-independent consulting business and doubling his income. He discusses the benefits of niche consulting, establishing credibility through Clarity.fm, setting pricing and building credibility with videos, expanding the business to include various software products, and establishing expertise through product support forums and social media. The chapter also covers learning something new, sales calls, increasing consulting prices, and working with virtual staff.
Paul Miners built a profitable location-independent consulting business by becoming an expert in a specific software tool and offering personalized consulting services.
Paul's success was attributed to providing valuable content on YouTube and leveraging platforms like Clarity.fm to generate qualified leads.
To scale his consulting business, Paul continually increased the value and scope of his services, built credibility through valuable content, and established long-term relationships with clients.
Deep dives
Building a Location Independent Consulting Business
Paul Miners, a productivity blogger and consultant, shares his journey of building a profitable location independent consulting business. He discovered his niche by becoming an expert in the project management tool, Asana. Paul started by offering his expertise on platforms like Clarity.fm and Google AdWords, which generated qualified leads. The key to his success was providing valuable content on YouTube, where he shared tips and showcased his expertise. By offering personalized consulting services and pricing packages, he was able to close high-ticket sales with clients worldwide, overcoming the potential barriers of remote work.
Personalizing the Sales Process
During initial calls with potential clients, Paul focuses on understanding their specific needs and motivations. By asking why they want help and why they want to work with him, he deepens their understanding and commitment to the consulting process. Paul offers a range of custom packages and proposals, which he presents in a follow-up call or meeting. This personalization allows him to address any concerns or questions directly, and ultimately close high-value deals. He found that in-person meetings were rarely necessary, as most clients were comfortable working remotely and appreciated the convenience and expertise he provided.
Scaling the Business and Adding Value
To scale his consulting business, Paul increased the value and scope of his services over time. He began with lower-priced offerings, gradually adding more comprehensive packages. By continually providing valuable content on YouTube, he built credibility and attracted leads who were willing to pay for his expertise. Paul recognized that giving away free information actually increased demand for his services, as clients sought personalized guidance and support. As he raised his prices and expanded his offerings, he ensured that the second call or meeting was a crucial step in building trust, discussing options, and closing deals. He successfully scaled his business by providing exceptional value and building long-term relationships with clients.
Focus on a Software or Tool as a Consultant
Paul's strategy involves positioning himself as an expert in popular software tools such as Asana and Pipe Drive. By leveraging his knowledge and experience with these tools, he offers consulting services to clients who need help with implementation, training, and maximizing the efficiency of these platforms.
Proactive Marketing to Attract Clients
Paul employs various marketing tactics to proactively attract clients. He utilizes targeted Google AdWords advertisements, offers assistance and answers questions in product forums, provides valuable content on YouTube, and leverages platforms like clarity.fm to connect with potential customers. This proactive approach ensures that he is visible and accessible to individuals searching for help with the software tools he specializes in.
Monetizing Expertise through Affiliate Programs and Digital Products
Paul has successfully monetized his expertise by participating in affiliate programs offered by the software tools he consults on, earning recurring commissions for referrals. He has also created and sold digital products, such as training videos and toolkits, that provide additional value to clients. By bundling his knowledge and experience into these products, Paul has generated additional income streams to complement his consulting services.
A location-independent consulting business that replaces your day job income in a matter of months?
That's what Paul Minors achieved with his virtual software consulting side hustle.
You might recognize Paul’s name. Paul is a productivity blogger and consultant from New Zealand. He was part of a fun productivity roundtable episode we did towards the end of 2016 -- that was episode 197 if you want to go back and check it out.
At that time, Paul was putting the wheels in motion on his consulting business centered around specific software tools.
If you can hitch your cart to a rising tide of interest in a particular tool, and become the go-to expert in that space, you can do really well.
Paul was able to leave his day job within a couple of months of starting his business. He was then able to go traveling with his wife for 6-months while working 15-20 hours a week from his laptop.
After arriving back home, he started working full-time on his consulting business. “I noticed the impact of that straight away, within a couple of months I had doubled my income,” Paul told me.
It's clear Paul has figured out this business model.
This episode is packed with ideas you might be able to apply to your own areas of expertise. Maybe you’ll even uncover some areas of expertise you never really considered that special before.
Tune in to episode 344 hear:
How Paul came across the idea of offering his first consulting services “by accident.”
The several different marketing channels that drive targeted traffic to his website
How he’s added more products and services to his portfolio
