Business Management

retired consultant

How to Make Risky Business Decisions as a Small Business Owner

By MBO Partners

In the majority of traditional jobs, managers have the final word when it comes to making important business decisions and there are always coworkers to bounce ideas off of or ask for opinions. Independent professionals, on the other hand, are relatively on their own when it comes to making choices that will affect their business….

Read More...
Independent professional with long-term client

5 Best Practices for Developing Long Term Client Relationships

By MBO Partners

For many independent professionals, work can be tinged with uncertainty. The top two challenges reported by respondents to our 2022 State of Independence survey were not enough predictable income and concerns about the sales pipeline, and a big part of operating an independent services business is addressing them. In addition to these challenges, many independents…

Read More...
consultant

How to Create a Contingency Plan for Small Business: 4 Steps

By MBO Partners

For many in the business world, a common saying is: “If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.” This saying rings particularly true for small business owners who often have to carefully balance each aspect of their business—especially in unforeseen situations. Whether you’re sidelined by a family emergency, unavailability of resources, or other…

Read More...
consultant

Year End Small Business Review Checklist

By MBO Partners

If you are an independent contractor, consultant, or solopreneur, the end of the year is a great opportunity to review results, evaluate business assets and expenses, assess relationships, and create a plan to excel in the new year. Use this handy checklist to keep yourself on track. 1. Wrap Up Financial To-Dos If you operate…

Read More...
consultant

6 Project Management Tips for Independent Contractors

By MBO Partners

There’s no getting around it—project management is a core competency for any successful solo consultant. In addition to your specialized expertise, the success of client engagements and your business requires effective results and milestone management. If this isn’t a strong skill set of yours, don’t worry. There are many ways to enhance project management capabilities through…

Read More...
Home podcaster

6 Thought Leadership Strategies for Consultants

By MBO Partners

In our social media dominated world of today, anyone with a Twitter account or a blog can call themselves an “expert” on any given subject. And that makes it tough to rise above the noise to reach current and prospective clients with your message. However, by establishing true thought leadership and experienced-based innovative thinking, you…

Read More...
consultant

6 Ways to Grow Your Independent Consulting Practice

By MBO Partners

You’ve taken the leap and started your own business—you have a few projects under your belt and a reliable pipeline of clients, but what’s next? There are many ways to grow your business, and your choice of how to do so will depend on many individual internal and external factors. You may want to maximize…

Read More...

10 Ways to Prepare Your Business for the Holidays

By MBO Partners

Avoid a slump in business by using these tips to keep new projects coming in over the holidays.

Read More...
Leading a meeting

8 Steps to Plan a Successful Project Kickoff Meeting

By MBO Partners

Whatever the initiative that’s getting underway, a project kickoff meeting is essential to success. Putting time and energy into turning your kickoff from “just a meeting” into a motivating, action-oriented session can pay big dividends over the course of the project. Your kickoff needs to fit the type of project being launched. Examples include: Internal…

Read More...
consultants working together

Client Relationships Guide: 13 Ways to Build Strong Relationships with Clients

By MBO Partners

Effective client management is important when running a small business, and building and maintaining strong relationships with clients play a key role.  If you have built a strong relationship with your client, they are more likely to engage with you on future projects and refer you to others. Once onboarded, it’s easier for companies to…

Read More...