Professional Bodies

Whatever your technical field, there will probably be a professional body of some kind offering qualifications. Often these extend to non-technical skills too. A good example is the British Computer Society (BCS). If you are a consultant in the IT field, you may wish to consider the BCS Certificate in Consultancy Practice as a qualification. It covers the broadest spectrum of non-IT subjects, from change management to project risk assessment, and details can be found on the BCS website: www.bcs.org.uk
 
Apart from specific professional bodies, there are also broader organisations, like the Institute of Management Consultancy (IMC). They offer a qualification as a Certified Management Consultant, as well as maintaining a register of consultants, and various other services. www.imc.co.uk

Advice On Setting Up & Running Your Own Business

An obvious starting place for advice on setting up and running your own business is Business Link: “The national network of advice centres for businesses great and small.” They will always “know a man who can”. www.businesslink.org

Fees & PR For The Independent Consultant

Tom Lambert is known as the consultant’s consultant. He has written a number of books on the subject, including “High Income Consulting” where he covers the subject of fee structures very extensively. www.tom-lambert.org