Posted By Allan St.John Holt Odd question! Depends on whether you are buying or selling, like most things. So - are you asking how many consultancies there are, or what the potential for getting work could be should you decide to become a consultant? Having done the consulting thing for 40 years now, I've seen tremendous changes in the marketplace on both counts. For instance, just less than 40 years ago, I had a fight with Yellow Pages to get a listing for safety consultants. When that happened, mine was one of only two for a couple of years. Last time I looked, there were a couple of pages of consultants listed within my local phone area. And every year some people get in touch to ask 'how to do it' - and I'm happy to advise them as there's still plenty of work available out there for people who are willing and able to do a good job. Sadly, I reckon less than 10% of those people are still 'consulting' a year later, for various reasons, not the least of which is the unshakeable belief that the world will beat a path to their doorstep and they will be swamped with work. I don't know if these observations have any relevance to you, but FWIW.. Allan

Posted By Jim Walker Sorry, missed out my r's (Wonder if the rude word eliminator will pick that up!).