Building a Thriving Atlassian Consulting Business: Part 12

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Increase Professionalism

Do you have?

✅ A portfolio

✅ A professional bio and photo

✅ A branded email address

✅ Professional materials and collateral

One way for independent consultants to compete with bigger firms is to increase professionalism. You could have all the knowledge in the world but look less competent because of spelling errors in your proposal. You can increase your professionalism and competency with a good portfolio that showcases problems you’ve solved for others.

Make sure you have a well-written bio, headshot, and a branded email address like yourname@yourdomain.com. Yourname@gmail.com doesn’t look professional and advertises Google, not you.

Make sure your documents, materials, and marketing collateral are well designed and error free. They should match your brand in design and communication style. Get some help from a designer or copy editor if needed.

Next, sometimes independent contractors lack thorough processes. Take some time to define and document each service you offer.

For example:

• Create a project plan that defines all the steps from beginning to end

• Create a sample timeline with critical milestones

• Define the responsibilities of the consultant and the client for each step in the process

• Etc.

Also write some reusable wording so you can create templates to communicate with your client.

Finally, create a checklist of everything you need to do and all the information to collect for each new client. Having a specific process to follow will save you time and improve your consistency.

Template

Here are some process examples, communication templates, and my new client checklist

Download this and other materials at: jirastrategy.com/link/for-consultants

Certification

Finally, you’re never done learning. An Atlassian certification or industry course completion certificate is a great way to showcase and maintain your skills. Look for business and technology courses to compliment your Atlassian knowledge.

Check out my tips for studying for and maintaining Atlassian certifications. The tests are challenging, but the certification experience made me a better admin. Don’t be discouraged if you need to take the exams more than once.

• How to Study for Jira Administrator Certification - jirastrategy.com/link/study

• How to Extend your Jira Administrator Certification - jirastrategy.com/link/extend

Continuing Education

Our industry changes quickly. Make sure you are perusing opportunities to maintain, strengthen, and increase your skills.

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Part 13: Getting Additional Clients