Small Business Consulting

Small business owners often feel overwhelmed—juggling operations, marketing, finances, hiring, and strategy simultaneously. Consultants bring outside perspective and specialized expertise, helping founders make better decisions and avoid costly mistakes. If you've built or operated a business yourself, that experience becomes invaluable guidance for others.

For digital nomads, business consulting happens naturally over video calls, email, and messaging. You can advise a startup in Austin while sitting in a cafe in Barcelona. Many consultants work with clients in specific time zones, scheduling calls during overlapping hours. The work is intellectually stimulating and relationship-based—good consultants become trusted advisors their clients rely on for years.

What Business Consultants Actually Do

Consulting engagements vary widely, but typically involve:

Discovery & Diagnosis

• Understanding the business situation
• Identifying problems and opportunities
• Analyzing data and operations
• Interviewing team members

Strategy & Recommendations

• Developing action plans
• Prioritizing initiatives
• Creating frameworks and processes
• Presenting options with tradeoffs

Implementation Support

• Guiding execution of recommendations
• Accountability and check-ins
• Problem-solving as issues arise
• Measuring results and adjusting

Some consultants focus on strategy (what to do), others on implementation (how to do it), and many do both.

Specialization Matters More Than Ever

"Business consultant" is too vague to market. Successful consultants specialize:

Specialization	Example Focus Areas
Marketing strategy	Customer acquisition, positioning, channels
Operations	Processes, efficiency, systems
Finance	Cash flow, pricing, fundraising
Sales	Pipeline, closing, team structure
Technology	Software selection, automation, data
HR/People	Hiring, culture, performance
Industry-specific	Restaurant turnarounds, SaaS growth

The more specific your expertise, the easier it is to find clients who need exactly what you offer.

Finding Consulting Clients

Your Network Your first clients almost always come from people who already know your work:

• Former colleagues
• Industry connections
• Friends with businesses
• People who've seen your content

Content & Thought Leadership Demonstrating expertise attracts clients:

• LinkedIn posts about your specialty
• Blog articles or case studies
• Speaking at industry events
• Podcast appearances

Referrals Happy clients refer others. This becomes your primary source after initial momentum.

Platforms

• Toptal - premium consulting matching
• Upwork - various consulting projects
• Clarity.fm - paid advice calls
• Industry-specific networks

Pricing Your Services

Model	Structure	Best For
Hourly	$100-500+/hour	One-off advice, flexible scope
Project-based	$2,000-50,000+	Defined deliverables
Retainer	$2,000-15,000+/month	Ongoing advisory
Day rate	$1,500-5,000+/day	Intensive workshops, site visits
Value-based	% of results or success fee	High-confidence situations

Most experienced consultants prefer retainers or projects over hourly—they reward efficiency and create predictable income.

Building Credibility

Without a big brand behind you, credibility comes from:

Track Record

• Specific results you've achieved
• Businesses you've helped
• Problems you've solved

Content

• Demonstrated thinking about your specialty
• Case studies (even anonymized)
• Frameworks and methodologies

Social Proof

• Testimonials from clients
• Recommendations on LinkedIn
• Speaking engagements and media

Credentials

• Relevant certifications
• Industry recognition
• Past employers (if notable)

Document everything that builds your case.

The Consulting Engagement

Typical engagement structure:

1. Discovery call (free or paid) - Understand situation, assess fit
2. Proposal - Scope, approach, timeline, pricing
3. Kickoff - Deep dive into the business
4. Work sessions - Analysis, strategy development
5. Deliverables - Recommendations, action plans
6. Implementation - Ongoing support (optional)
7. Review - Results assessment, next steps

Clear scope prevents scope creep. Define what's included and what isn't.

Realistic Income Expectations

Stage	Monthly Income
Starting (few clients)	$2,000-5,000
Established (2-3 retainers)	$5,000-12,000
Successful (full practice)	$10,000-25,000+
Premium (high-end clients)	$25,000-50,000+

Most solo consultants plateau at $15,000-25,000/month—that's 3-5 significant clients at premium rates.

The Nomad Reality

Consulting works well for travel:

What works:

• Video calls replace in-person meetings
• Async work via email and documents
• Relationship-based (trust survives distance)
• Premium rates support travel lifestyle

Challenges:

• Some clients expect availability during their hours
• Intensive engagements may require time zone alignment
• Complex situations benefit from in-person work
• Building reputation is harder without local network

What This Pairs Well With

Consulting overlaps with career coaching for individual professionals. Financial aspects connect to small business accounting. Marketing specialization leads to digital marketing consulting.

Use Notion for client work, proposals, and project management. Google Drive for sharing documents and deliverables.

Getting started: Identify the specific problems you can solve based on your experience. Document case studies and results from past work. Start by helping people in your network, then ask for referrals and testimonials. Consider offering strategy sessions as an entry point before ongoing engagements. Build authority through content—LinkedIn posts, podcasts, or writing that demonstrates your expertise.