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Posted By Karen Todd
Fellow consultants:
What has been the most worthwhile thing (training course) you've spent money on, that has brought in more business for you?
e.g. It's not something anyone has asked me about, but I'm thinking of doing the OHSAS18001 lead auditor course as I think that is something I could get quite a bit of work out of as well as being something I'd like to do.
On the other hand, I hadn't planned to do a manual handling instructors course as it doesn't really appeal to me (there are other things that interest me much more, such as machinery), but it's something that lots of people have been making enquiries about.
Any advice/suggestions?
KT
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Posted By Ian G Hutchings
Karen
I can't really answer in terms of current work, but it may be worth thinking about environmental related training, especially carbon reduction surveying, if this is an area of interest.
The other one may be fire related for fire risk assessment delivery. I know this isn't always necessary, but it can be a USP if competing for this type of work.
I have found that my diploma in management was a good investment and also registering as a member of the institute of business consulting. This gives you wider access to other professional service suppliers.
Cheers
Ian
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Posted By Karen Todd
Unfortunately I detest all things environmental! Though I have environmental experience.
I'm not in the position where I can pick and choose my work, so I realise that I will have to do things that aren't my 'favourites' to bring in the £££.
My USP is that I'm doing the Cardiff University / Bond Solon expert witness certificate so that as a consulting engineer (as well as a H&S consultant) I can do personal injury accident type work. There is this rather bizarre situation where the person a solicitor turns to for a site inspection or an expert's report on an accident is a consulting engineer, rather than a H&S practitioner. As I've discovered, not very many of the consulting engineers I've come across have any H&S qualifications, or any legal training (though for membership of some of the expert witness societies this is now mandatory), so I'm hoping that by being a charterd mechanical engineer with Dip2 as well as the CUBS certificate that marks me out from the rest of the bunch! That was an extortionate amount of money for a 5 day course though, but hopefully will bring in a lot of work.
Karen
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Posted By Kieran J Duignan
Hello Karen
It appears to me from the combination of your question and subsequent comment that you're indicating how much you are confusing criteria about what to focus on and how to go about it.
On the one hand, you ask for 'advice/suggestions' about investing in a means of developing business and on the other you assume that such an investment is necessarily a 'course'.
Having taken 3 degrees and 4 diplomas, I've invested heavily in courses; some of them, like studying with the Open University have been great value while a M Sc in Ergonomics was a great experience yet cost me nothing because I did it on the basis of a research award.
Your observations about how solicitors commission expert witnesses may reflect on how poorly some of them conduct the process of involving an expert; beware of assuming that being commissioned is necessarily a good sale on your part - it could well be an enormous risk depending on the quality of the instructions; for shoddy instructions reflect a failure of the solicitor to grasp the issues and you could find that he's simply fishing for a way to pursue a case, based on an insurance policy to cover his fees.
The most useful investment that I can relate to earning better was not a course - it was excellent mentoring, which involves a very different relationship and orientation.
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Posted By Karen Todd
Hello Kieran,
Thanks for that. I found good advice in previous threads about building up a business. I want to do some more training courses (I seem to be constantly learning and learning, but it's something I enjoy), but at the same time I want the courses to be enjoyable as well as useful for the business.
It seems as though I may well end up on a manual handling instructors course as that is what clients seem to want. After all, a business is about giving people what they want.
However, I completed the rest of the CUBS course last week, and I now feel a bit more confident about getting good instructions from solicitors, and about getting payment. I do realise that the reality may be a bit more difficult, but knowing more about CPR Part 35 and the protocol etc etc, as well as seeing model terms of engagement, hearing about a few last resort tricks, and talking to other experts helped me a lot. I've a couple of people that are going to act as mentor for expert witness work, 1 in particular, so I'll see how that goes.
Regards,
Karen
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Posted By Kieran J Duignan
Karen
As an engineer you may well find that this title gives a first-class introduction to manual handling: 'Ergonomics. How to Design for ease and efficiency', K Kroemer, H Kroemer and K Kroemer-Elbert (dad, mum and daughter).
Of the hundreds of books I've read on ergonomics, and dozens on manual handling, I think this is the most useful as they combine 'a knowledge base' (of anthropometry, anatomy, physiology and cognitive psychology) with guidance on design for manual handling and many other applications.
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Posted By TK
Karen
You could try doing a course in Office Ergonomics. The last quote I received was over £5K!
All for two days observations on site and a report on workplace risks for 200 working in a two storey building.
A good lead in for further work too e.g. DSE, manual handling, PUWER assessments.
Thomas
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Posted By Karen Todd
Flippin heck!!! Most I know of anyone charging is £100/hr, not myself unfortunately, but this is very technical work that no-one else will touch.
Actually, just remembered, in my previous job our insurers got in a consultant do audits for us, and charged us £1250/day for the "privilege"...
KT
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Posted By TK
I worked a consultant for a year.
For some "expert" work I did the company charged £150/hr. Left me speechless at the time. It was a full week's work too.
I'll leave you to calculate the daily and weekly rate!
T
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