8 things you need to do in the first 90 days of launching your consulting business

Launching a new consulting business? Here’s what to do in those critical first three months.

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Your first 90 days on a job are often the most important. That’s where you lay the foundation for the years to come and learn more about how your skills best fit into the organization. That’s just as true when you’re launching a startup.

The early days of an entrepreneurial endeavor, especially in the fast-growing consulting space, not only help to define how the business is received, but also its trajectory. As the mad dash begins for clients, there are fundamentals that you’ll need to pay attention to and long-term planning you’ll need to focus on at the same time.

Get these steps right and you can lay a foundation for future growth. Ignore them, and you could be setting yourself up for headaches down the road. Here are some of the areas that will demand your attention.

Increasingly, the most successful consulting companies are the ones that are specific about who they serve and which problems they solve. “Clients prefer boutique firms offering regulatory expertise, sector specialization, and competitive pricing, driving growth in niche consulting segments,” says research firm StartUs Insights. Tighten your focus instead of trying to be all things to all clients.

Make sure your company name isn’t already spoken for

It seems a basic step, but as you choose a name for your business, check to ensure that it’s not already being used on the web and on social media. You’ll want a URL that matches the company name, and you should secure social-media accounts on as many platforms as possible, even if you don’t plan to use them immediately, to protect your name.

As you launch your own consulting business and begin the search for clients, it’s people you know and people they know who are most likely to be of assistance. “Sixty percent of consultants get their first client through referrals from their network,” writes coaching and training platform Consulting Success. “This isn’t luck—it’s about strategically positioning yourself within your existing professional relationships.”

Determine your billing model

Some consulting firm founders prefer billing by the hour. Others prefer to charge a lump sum for a project. And some focus on intangibles, factors that make a client’s life easier. Hourly billing is easy and a favorite of people just getting started. Fixed sum billing for projects is preferred by about one-third of consulting firms. And value-based pricing has the largest revenue potential but is the most challenging. Just remember that you can switch models down the road. Here are some helpful formulas to consult when trying to determine what to charge. 

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