I remember, with such clarity, how I got started. I was committed to working internationally. I wanted to continue to do what I loved to do. For me, it was a passion for raising money—a passion for asking for money and a desire to teach others to do the same. Quite frankly I don’t think the type of nonprofit consultant you want to be, matters. If you are willing to work hard, if you have energy, if you are determined and if you are committed to serving, I believe with my heart, mind, body and soul that you can make it.

Here are some lessons learned on my journey to become a consultant. There are other ways to build a consultancy, but this is what worked for me.

It starts with attitude

I had no desire to run a business. My goal was to help others be successful.

I didn’t want to make a lot of money. My goal was to make a living, to pay the bills and to be able to live. I wasn’t after the big bucks. I just wanted to be paid fairly.

The bottom line for me was to offer a service combined with a work ethic rooted in a desire to do what I loved to do and help others be successful. Some say attitude is everything. It may not be everything, but it is a big chunk of what will make YOU a successful consultant

Lesson 1: Identify your area of expertise

• What are you good at?
• What do you do better that many others?
• What value can you bring to your clients?
• How can you make a difference?

Start with something you love to do. For me, it was a passion for major donor fundraising, focussing on the 20% of donors that give 80% of the money. It made sense for me to help NPOs raise more money by focussing on those who gave the greatest amount of money. That didn’t mean ignoring the other 80% of donors. It simply meant spending time with those most likely to give the greatest amount of money in the least amount of time with the least amount of effort. And, it was what I loved to do.

Lesson 2. Start with an anchor client

Once I found an anchor client, I was able to make the leap from working as a consultant part-time, to dedicating myself full-time to my new venture. Think of it as if you were developing a shopping mall. Your first goal is to get a commitment from a store like Walmart or the Bay —a store that will be “the anchor” for the mall on either end. Once you have the anchor(s), you fill the space in-between with smaller stores. Having an anchor client as a consultant, means you have a client who can support your business, help pay most of the bills so that you can earn the remainder of what you need by filling in your availability with smaller or less demanding clients.

Lesson 3. Incorporate

I wanted to protect what few assets I had at the time, so I decided to incorporate to limit the liability of any trouble I might get myself into. It provided financial security, allowed me to understand the rules of the corporate world, gave me a structure in which to work, and a place to hold any profits if I was fortunate enough to have any. It was a wise decision—one I never regretted even though (touch wood) I never got into trouble.

Lesson 4. Setting your rates

This is always tough. I researched what my peers were charging for similar work, then I pondered whether I would charge by the hour or a flat rate. I landed on a flat rate. First, because it was always better for the client. Second, it was then up to me to deliver a product or service in a given amount of time. Finally, I found it easier to track and bill my time because I wasn’t counting every 15 minutes, every hour. I determined how many days it would take, added up the time at the beginning and set a fee. Sometimes I spend more time, sometimes less … but I didn’t have to count my time every step of the way.

Lesson 5. Engaging new clients

I’ve never advertised and I’ve never wanted for clients. Here’s why. When an NPO or charity showed interest, particularly those who were international, I would promise to give them three days of my time. During those three days, I would interview the executive and Board members and read 8-10 strategic documents in the process of doing an organizational review.

By the end of the review, I was able to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the organization, analyze the formal and informal power structures and decision-making processes and prepare a recommendation letter. In it, I would outline what I’d discovered, what I believed they needed and what I could (and could not) do for them.

There are two key additional points:

1. I would offer to follow-up with a written proposal (but only if that was something they were interested in).
2. I would indicate that if they did not wish to work with me, they didn’t need to. Instead, I would give them suggestions of other good consultants that may be a better fit.

This process landed me 90-95% of all clients that I engaged with. Furthermore, it gave me a clear indication of those I did not wish to take on as a client.

Part 2: Engaging the Board, managing the pipeline and payment of fees.

After working in the social impact sector for almost 35 years, 17 of those years as a consultant on six continents with organizations undergoing change, Tony Myers is hanging up his consultancy hat and focussing his full attention on leadership development. This past year Tony established the Leaders of Tomorrow Canada Foundation with Andrea Purdy and his colleagues Justin Yaassoub, Sandra Blevins, Jan Kroupa and Tamara Loria. After delivering a dynamic and successful leadership programme in Europe for more than 10 years, Tony has turned his full attention to accelerating leadership development in Canada with the first Leaders of Tomorrow programme launched in November 2024. Contact Tony at Tony@MyersCan.com or by calling 403.828.3577.