Getting Started Bootcamp Private Training "Hawk Class"
In-person Roundtable
Date: 5/23/2021 -
Note: All listed times are in the Pacific time zone. Please adjust accordingly.
Event Overview
About the bootcamp:
When you’re just starting out as an independent consultant, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. There’s so much to learn, and even more to do! This eight-week getting started bootcamp with private training is the best option to set you up for success.
Led by PICA Community Lead Dray Wharton, you’ll get over 6 hours of 1 on 1 private coaching in addition to all of the supplemental worksheets, checklists, and other resources. Your private coaching sessions with Dray will meet every other week for eight weeks to help you…
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Set up your business (including naming it, if you haven’t already)
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Refine your branding and service offerings
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Figure out your pricing
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Create an online presence for your business
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Do your initial outreach and business development
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And tackle whatever else you may need help with!
Format:
These are individual coaching sessions, so be prepared to participate, ideally using your webcam. When you register you will be connected with Dray to schedule your sessions and to discuss your goals for the bootcamp.
Each session will focus on a particular topic, with assignments in between sessions. Assignments may include taking a PICA workshop if you haven’t already, and/or creating a first draft of something so we can discuss it in the next session.
Duration: Each session is 75 minutes
Timing:
Sessions are every other week; specific schedule to be decided after registration.
Syllabus:
Week of May 23rd
Get to know each other and your objectives for next 8 weeks.
Featured Topic: Laying Your Foundation (infrastructure).
Assignments and prep for next session:
- Complete your foundational steps (e.g. business license, DBA, etc.)
- Take Know Your Niche: Branding to Build Your Business (May 27th) or use PICA articles to help you: Why Personal Branding is Vital and How to Do It* and Know Your Niche* (These articles contain links to worksheets.)
- Take Billing Rates and Pricing Strategies (June 2nd)
- Draft your tagline and we'll fine-tune it in our next session.
- Develop a summary of your service offerings. (What services do you provide and to whom?)
Related Materials:
- Creating a Foundation for Consulting Success
- Getting Started as Your Own Business (with checklist) *
- Registering Your Business and Getting a License *
- Registering Your DBA (Doing Business As) *
- Business Structure: Sole-proprietor, LLC, Corporation, or Other? *
- One Easy Step to a Professional Image (Use an email domain.)
Week of June 6th
Check in on your progress on laying your foundation.
Focus Area: Refining your branding, go-to-market messaging, and service offerings. Discuss your tagline and service offerings. Sanity check your pricing.
Assignments and prep for next session:
- Replicate your tagline on all marketing
- Begin to update your LinkedIn profile (your tagline as your headline)
- Create an email signature with your tagline
- Take Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile for Consulting* (June 10th) or use the PICA reference guide *
- Update your LinkedIn Profile
Related Materials:
- PICA Reference Guide: Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile (download)
- How to Figure Out Your Consulting Bill Rate
- Quote Your Consulting Billing Rate with Confidence
Week of June 20th
Discuss/refine branding and pricing; review LinkedIn profile updates.
Focus Area: Create visibility! Creating a LinkedIn business page and/or website.
Assignments and prep for next session:
- Take How to Build Your Website (TBD) or use PICA's reference guide (download)
- Finish your LinkedIn profile
- Create an outline for your website
- Create a LinkedIn business page
- Bonus points if you get a first draft of your website done, too!
Related Materials:
- Eliminate the Gray Square on Your LinkedIn Profile!
- PICA Reference Guide: How to Build Your Website * (download)
Week of July 4th
Review/discuss marketing efforts and website outlines (or actual websites)
Focus Area: Preparing for Launch
Assignments and prep for next session:
- Export and prioritize contacts
- Draft outreach message(s)
- Draft two stories or case studies
- Prepare samples so you have them ready
- Take Business Development for Independent Consultants (July 8th) or read the five articles in PICA's Resources Library *
- Take Legal Aspects of Solo Consulting (July 14th)
Related Materials:
- Read the five articles in PICA's Business Development Library *
- Use Work Samples to Seal the Deal
- Negotiation Tips for Independent Consultants
Week of July 18th
Review outreach messages
Develop goals for next quarter
Assignment: Officially launch your business!
* Members-only content
FAQs:
Q: Do I have to participate in every session?
A: No, but like most things you’ll get out of it what you put into it. That said, the first session is mandatory. If you can’t make it to the first session, you’ll need to wait until the next bootcamp or use the course syllabus above as your own “independent study” course.
Q: What if I miss a session?
A: You and Dray can coordinate a rescheduled date and time.
Q: What if I have questions between sessions?
A: Reach out to Dray!
Q: What is the time commitment?
A: 5 sessions of 75 minutes each, plus other workshops as needed, and of course doing your assignments. (If anyone told you that starting your own consulting business would be fast and easy, they were lying.)
About the Bootcamp Leader:
In 2006, he pivoted his efforts towards a management consulting practice where he could apply his studies in organizational psychology to help individuals, teams, and companies up their game and Wharton & Co. was created.
PICA is a priority for Dray because he learned too many lessons 'the hard way' and felt that sharing his experiences would help others as they pursued successful transitions to the gig economy.