What do you do if you want to launch a thriving software project management consulting business?

To launch a thriving software project management consulting business, focus on building a strong brand reputation and establishing expertise in the field. Develop a clear value proposition and target market, emphasizing your unique skills and approach to project management. Invest in marketing efforts to attract clients, utilizing digital platforms, networking events, and industry conferences. Provide exceptional service and deliver results to build long-term relationships with clients. Continuously refine and expand your service offerings to meet evolving market demands and stay ahead of competitors.

a) Define your purpose statement: How your consulting business would impact the lives of people. b) Market research to analyze the target audience c) Identify a clear differentiator - what can you do unique or better than others doing similar work. d) Create case studies of you own work, try to get customer reference. e) Leverage social media channels, also try for 1-1 connects with the prospect. f) BE ready to Show something as a demo of the offering & arrange customer reference g) Please do connect with as many mentors or practitioners you can to find out what did/did not work for them h) Set up a mechanism to measure and continuously improve your offerings i) Take risk but you don't need to take risk in a risky manner

Our portfolio is essentially a showcase of our work. It's crucial to emphasize achievements and results, but we should do so in a visually impactful manner. I always prefer portfolios to be simple, visually clean, and attractive. We don't always have to fill it with information; the most important thing is to generate the viewer's need to ask for more information. When someone asks us to tell them more about our portfolio, it means we've generated a positive attraction. If we have the opportunity to obtain testimonials, they would greatly enhance the reliability of the portfolio, as they are a powerful tool to demonstrate our capability and credibility to potential clients.

Starting a thriving software project management consulting business requires a combination of project management skills, industry knowledge, and entrepreneurial skills. I would clearly define a value proposition and what differentiates it from other consultants in the area. What do you offer customers that others can't? This could be specialized skills, industry-specific experience or an innovative project management methodology. I would also create a professional website. Finally, I would provide added value to clients by offering customized consulting services, educational resources, workshops or software project management training. I would seek to exceed clients' expectations and build strong, long-lasting relationships with them.

It's important to emphasize that tools are simply channels that facilitate our work. There isn't one tool better than the other, as each project may require different management functionalities, and for this, we have different tools. In my case, the ones I prefer to use, in order of preference, are: 1. Jira: It is particularly effective for teams following agile methodologies like Scrum or Kanban. 2. Microsoft Project: Known for its capability to handle complex projects and its integration with other Microsoft Office productivity tools. 3. Monday: Known for its visually appealing interface and flexibility to adapt to a wide variety of workflows and project processes.