Customer Reviews

The Complete Idiot's Guide(R) to Consulting

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
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2 star:		(1)
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Every chapter in Robert Bacal's book rings with authenticity. It's clear he knows a lot about being a consultant. The book is very complete and has tons of practical advice for anyone contemplating becoming a consultant in any field. In fact, the book has real value to anyone thinking about going into business for him or herself, regardless of whether as a consultant or some other small business. It talks about realistically assessing your strengths, marketing yourself, consulting ethics, what the actual engagement will be like, dealing with clients (including the client from hell), what to charge, how to take advantage of the Internet to market your services and gain additional income streams and lots more. I can't imagine a book that would be more helpful to a potential consultant. And being a title in The Complete Idiot's Guides series, it's really easy to read. I highly recommend this book.

I too am a consultant with over 10 yrs full time, medical device / regulatory consulting. I must disagree w/ the one somewhat negative review. I too have a degree w/ minor in business, but I found much in the book that is useful. True, there is "nothing new under the sun" (including this quote -- Eccl 1:9b), but I found much useful information. And I have read (and own) most of the consulting books. Bacal's sections on ethics, website design and purpose, and people skills / explanations of real problems using not-so-fictitious dialog add to the genre. And it's all "field-tested". Most of us still aren't applying all the basics in our practice, so any reminders are always useful, and beneficial if applied. I recommend it to both new and established consultants.

I've been a consultant for 10 years now, but wanted to take an objective look at how I've been doing--this book helped me do that and gave me some great ideas that I need to try.

Not only was it a refresher for me; it was an eye opener. It's an easy read and incredibly detailed too. A great resource to refer to time and again for new ideas.

I was expecting a light Complete Idiot's Guide treatment, but this book is anything but. This author covers it all -- and in a very realistic way. For those of us exploring going out on our own, we need real answers about getting and keeping clients, legal issues and business tips. This author has clearly been there and gives a complete picture of what you face, not some pie-in-the-sky idea of working for yourself.

As a big fan of "The Complete Idiot's Guide" series and Independent Consultant in the Social Service sector, I found this book to be a great starting place for anyone considering a career as a consultant or independent contractor.

Between this book and some of the Nolo series books, you can access basically any information and tools on starting, running, managing, and promoting yourself in both the public and private sectors.

Filled with basic yet essential information and ideas. Highly recommended!

I purchased this book thinking it would be a great overview of the consulting profession and a how-to for private consulting. What I ended up reading was bland summarizations of overly obvious facts--very few chapters in this book don't rehash past topics. My recommendation to any would-be buyer is this: if you have a college education, especially in business, spend your money elsewhere. (Same goes for those who possess above average logic) Otherwise, this book might be sufficient for you.