These IT consulting firms have the most Baltimore-area consultants

Need IT help? Then check out our List of IT Consulting Firms in the Baltimore area.

Leidos Inc. is way ahead of the pack; the company retained its top position on the List from last year. Vision Technology Services LLC and Edaptive Systems also remained in the top 5.

Below you can see the rest of the top 5, starting at No. 5:

5. NewWave Telecom & Technologies Inc.

    Address: 6518 Meadowridge Rd. #100, Elkridge, MD 21075

    Phone: 410-782-0476

    URL: newwave-technologies.com

    Local IT consultants: 100

4. Apex Systems

    Address: 8820 Columbia 100 Pkwy., #402, Columbia, MD 21045

    Phone: 443-539-3320

    URL: apexsystemsinc.com

    Local IT consultants: 200

3. Edaptive Systems

    Address: 400 Red Brook Blvd., #120, Owings Mills, MD 21117

    Phone: 410-327-3366

    URL: edaptivesys.com

    Local IT consultants: 215

2. Vision Technology Services LLC

    Address: 230 Schilling Cir., #200, Hunt Valley, MD 21031

    Phone: 410-560-1444

    URL: vistechs.com

    Local IT consultants: 230

1. Leidos Holdings Inc.

    Address: 7120 Columbia Gateway Dr., Columbia, MD 21046

    Phone: 410-312-2000

    URL: leidos.com

    Local IT consultants: 1,482

read more: http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/blog/lists/2015/03/these-it-consulting-firms-have-the-most-baltimore.html

Three Myths of the Sales Proposal

By Michael W. McLaughlin

When he came up against assumptions and conventional wisdom, Arthur C. Clarke, the noted British scientist and writer, was fond of the old saying “Rules are meant to be broken.”

In the consulting business, we have implied rules for much of what we do, from pricing to project management. Unfortunately, many once-helpful ideas about operating our businesses morph into unquestioned prescriptions for how we should do things. Few things spread faster, and have a shorter shelf life, than these so-called best practices.

“Rules” for Sales Proposals

Clients award very few consulting projects, regardless of the size, without a proposal of some kind. When you sit down to write your proposal, you’ll likely run through a mental checklist of the basic “rules” for a winning one.

For everything we do, though, some accepted wisdom serves us well, while some just gets in the way. Sales proposal development is no exception. So, with a nod to Arthur C. Clarke, here are three myths of the sales proposal process.

Myth 1: There’s One Right Way

If there’s one certainty in the professional services business, it’s that we rarely sell the same way—or face the same situation—twice. We do encounter similarities in selling situations, but each client project has its own goals, influencers, decision-makers, and approval process.

If you believe in a single, “right” way to write a proposal, you’ll mistakenly use strategies that work well for one client but fall flat for others. If you assume, for example, that writing a three-page proposal is the way to win, you’ll falter in client situations that demand a more extensive presentation of your solution. You can try to force the three-page rule on clients, but it’s a better bet to stay flexible with your approach, especially if you really want the work.

Naturally, you must cover specific topics in every proposal, such as the project objectives, scope, results, timing, team, assumptions, and fees. And you should include an executive summary. You also have to avoid blatant buzzwords. But adhering to a set of rules about proposal length, content, and a prescribed purpose for the proposal is a mistake.

see more: http://mindshareconsulting.com/three-myths-sales-proposal/

11th Annual Consultants Survey: Consultants’ Exhibit Confidence and Increasing Project Activity

As 47 percent of the respondents to our 29th Annual Corporate Survey say they utilize the services of consultants when making plans for new facilities and/or expansions, we also ask the consultants to answer questions about their clients’ plans and site selection priorities. Needless to say, the responses do not line up entirely with those of our Corporate Survey respondents. The consultants’ responses, as well as a comparison to those of our corporate readers, follow.

Profile of the Responding Consultants

Nearly two thirds of those responding to our 11th Annual Consultants Survey have worked on location or expansion projects in the durable goods manufacturing sector and half in the nondurable goods manufacturing sector. Nearly 60 percent have assisted distribution/logistics/warehousing firms with their plans, and fully a third have worked with firms in financial services/insurance/real estate as well as the energy industry (chart A).

More than 80 percent of the responding consultants say they have helped their clients with location studies/comparative analyses, and nearly three quarters handle incentives negotiation and management for their clients. Interestingly, 68 percent claim to assistant in their clients’ location decisions (chart B). In terms of their employment numbers, 90 percent of the companies using the consultants’ services are mid-size to very large (100 to 1,000+ workers) (chart C). Since 32 percent of those responding to our Corporate Survey are with companies with fewer than 100 employees, we can see why the responses to our Corporate and Consultants surveys would differ. 

read more: http://www.areadevelopment.com/Corporate-Consultants-Survey-Results/Q1-2015/11th-site-selection-consultants-corporate-RE-survey-8802177.shtml

Propaganda India forays into digital strategy consulting

Advertisement agency Propaganda India, which counts Amazon India, HDFC Life and Cricinfo among its clients, has forayed into digital strategy consulting with the launch of digital research and insights division Mindsweeper.

The new foray is expected to help businesses in India take on-the-go decisions based on real time customer insights, said a senior executive of the company. In the first phase, the firm will have presence in Mumbai and Bangalore and look at further expansion in the next phase.

Propaganda India Co-Founder and Director Priya Jayaraman told Media that this foray into digital strategy consulting comes in the wake of various brands doing a host of activities on digital media as against a consolidated measurable strategy based on insights.

"In last few years we have found many gaps in the way customers and businesses handled digital media. The initial feedback was that clients were very excited about such an offering.

We believe that there is a huge potential for digital strategy consulting," she said. Mindsweeper uses online customer satisfaction, online usership and attitude surveys, online product and brand testing along with mobile based surveys as data points.

"While Mindsweeper will initially provide these services as an independent offering to clients, we are also open to bundling these with digital media offerings for our existing clients," Jayaraman added.

see more: https://in.newshub.org/propaganda-india-forays-into-digital-strategy-consulting-13700724.html

Providing consulting, fashion sense

Joan Gamble, a retired CVPS executive, began to run two very different businesses out of her home in Rutland in 2012. Wanting, as she says, to “satisfy both parts of my brain,” Gamble is now a strategic change consultant and a fashion stylist. Here she speaks of both enterprises.

What is nature of your business?

In my consulting business, I help organizations and teams thrive through difficult transitions. Through skilled assessment, facilitation and coaching, I help organizations develop a clear motivational vision, focus on their key strategic goals, organize themselves with key action steps and accountability, and achieve high levels of employee engagement.

Quite simply, as an independent CAbi fashion stylist — (Carol Anderson by invitation), a designer women’s clothing collection sold exclusively by a network of independent consultants, or stylists, through in-home trunk shows — I help women of all ages and sizes look and feel beautiful. As a CAbi leader, I inspire a team of self-motivated women achieve their dreams of running their own businesses.

How/why did the company begin? What was the inspiration, the story behind its beginning?

I had been a successful executive at CVPS for 24 years, and I loved my job, my colleagues and the positive culture we built together. When I retired after the merger I wanted to tap into my entrepreneurial drive and develop a new sense of self and purpose, so I started the two businesses. Although different, the businesses complement each other. I get immense satisfaction both using skills I’d honed over the years and stretching myself in a completely different arena.

see more: http://www.timesargus.com/article/20150316/BUSINESS03/703169991

Jeb Bush drops ties with more companies

Washington (CNN)Jeb Bush let go of his final two business commitments as he aims to sever financial ties ahead of his likely presidential campaign.

The former Florida governor sold his ownership stakes in Jeb Bush & Associates and in the Britton Hill entities this month, Bush's spokeswoman Kristy Campbell confirmed. 

"This was a natural step as Gov. Bush transitioned his time and focus from running his business to increasing his political efforts on behalf of conservative candidates and causes," Campbell said in a written statement.

Bush established Jeb Bush & Associates, a business consulting firm, in 2007 after he left public office. He was one of two partners in another consulting firm, Britton Hill Partners LLC, and one of four partners in Britton Hill Holdings LLC, a company that does investments and consulting.

"It has been an honor to work with Gov. Bush, and we are truly grateful to have had a leader of his caliber as our partner," Britton Hill co-founder Amar Bajpai said in a press release.

Bush resigned from other corporate and nonprofit board memberships at the end of 2014, a move that fueled speculation that Bush was intent on running for president. The all-but-certain candidate is likely attempting to avoid the same fate as Mitt Romney, who faced fierce opposition from Democrats in 2012 over his corporate background and business investments. 

see more: http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/11/politics/jeb-bush-2016-business-ties/

Want a Job? Be a Bartender, Waiter or Consultant

The U.S. economy has been adding a lot of jobs lately. But what kind of jobs?

I've been digging around in the payroll employment numbers again, and the first thing I noticed is that most of the sectors that saw big gains in February's payroll report aren't exactly high-end. Food services and drinking places (average hourly earnings: $12.70) added 58,700 jobs in the month, seasonally adjusted; retail trade ($17.33) added 32,000; couriers and messagers ($18.92) 12,300.

Health care and social assistance, which added 32,800 jobs, pays a bit better -- $25.31 an hour, or just over the national average for private, nonfarm employers. But one category really stood out. Professional and technical services, with average hourly earnings of $38.26, added 31,800 jobs. It's been growing like this for years. Here's the performance of the sector, broken down into its five constituent parts, since the jobs recovery began in early 2010:

Consultants

The legal profession is in a long, slow decline. Computer systems design (often called information-technology consulting) and management consulting are booming. I'm not sure if this is because corporations are reinventing themselves with the help of consultants, or just outsourcing work to consultants to keep head count down. In any case, adjust your career plans accordingly. Also, don't yell at me because the chart doesn't go to zero.

Since you're reading Bloomberg View, though, there's a reasonable chance that you've already made career plans in finance. How's that been going? According to the jobs trajectory since 2005, not great. But not necessarily horribly either:

read more: http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-03-09/consulting-is-booms-and-so-is-bartending-serving-food

6 Facts You Need to Know About Starting Your Own Consulting Business

Thousands of professionals have dreamed about starting their own consulting business. It seems like a great career path. Hang a shingle, bring in clients, be your own boss, do awesome stuff and make bank.

Consulting, as it turns out, isn’t sexy, glamorous, or easy. It’s downright hard -- harder than you might think. I encourage anyone with the moxie to start a consulting business. But I also offer cautions -- a few yield signs that could save you a lot of grief and get you closer to achieving your dreams.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. You’re going to face cranky people.

Some people can’t handle unpleasant relationships, especially people who BS them or kick them around. If you’re not ready to face cranky people, then consulting isn’t for you.

Consulting is a face-to-face business. You meet with people. You shake hands. You step into corporate offices. You sit across tables. You talk to people.

Related: 4 Branding Lessons That You Don't Want to Learn the Hard Way

And some of those people you talk to are just plain mean.

You figure out pretty quickly who is worth working with and who’s not. As you figure it out, you might have to endure some relationships that eat away at you.

2. Your deliverable is knowledge.

A consultant is hired for one reason: Knowledge.

You must assert your knowledge in the niche for which you were hired. A client selects you to work on their behalf because you know something that they don’t.

This means that you tell them like it is, and don’t back down. Deliver the knowledge that they pay for. If they don’t like it, so be it. If they disagree, so be it.

Your deliverable is knowledge, and if you deliver it in a half-baked way, you’re losing the quality of your service.

3. You’re probably not charging enough.

One of the biggest mistakes I see new consultants make is that they don’t charge enough for their service.

Maybe it’s guilt. Maybe it’s inexperience. But maybe they just don’t know how much they should charge. There’s no magic formula for fee-setting, but there is a general rule: Charge more than you think you should.

It’s important to your client that they are getting a return on their investment, so this should be important to you, too. If you can prove your ROI, you’ve got leeway to charge a healthy percentage of the client’s profit.

read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/242956