Sign up

How do you start a consulting business?

6 perspectives · Updated · 3 min read

Several founders here started out by selling services. Their advice is mostly about who to sell to and what to charge.

Cameron Herold started consulting in 1994 and tripled his old hourly rate from the first day. Tiago Forte started with $50 website jobs for friends. Nicolas Cole would begin with free audits for five prospects.

Their answers cover choosing a niche, pricing, and turning custom work into something repeatable.

The short answer

Sell what you already know to one narrow kind of client, and price it well from the start. Cameron Herold tripled his old hourly rate because only a third of his time would be billable. Several of them then turned what they learned into a repeatable process or a product.

Ask them yourself

Sign up free for unlimited conversations with them.

Sign up

Who you should listen to

Six founders, including the former COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, the founder of CB Insights, and the founder of SYSTEMology. Listen for the path that fits what you already know.

  • Cameron Herold · Founder of the COO Alliance and former COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

    Listen for: How to set your rate so you don't undercharge.

  • Nicolas Cole · Co-founder of Ship 30 for 30 and Premium Ghostwriting Academy

    Listen for: Free audits, then a repeatable 5-step process.

  • Anand Sanwal · Founder of CB Insights, now co-founder of Forge Prep, a 6th to 12th grade school

    Listen for: Pricing by value instead of hours.

  • David Jenyns · Founder of SYSTEMology and systemHUB

    Listen for: One ideal client and one main product.

  • Tiago Forte · Founder of Forte Labs and author of Building a Second Brain

    Listen for: Using small paid jobs to learn what you're good at.

  • Balaji Srinivasan · Founder of The Network School and author of The Network State

    Listen for: Solving one problem for one kind of client, then turning it into a product.

How do founders say to start a consulting business?

Cameron Herold

Cameron Herold

Founder of the COO Alliance and former COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

Author of 6 bestselling books

Why themKnows how to build the second-in-command role and scale operations.

Cameron’s advice: Sell what you already know, and triple your old hourly rate so you don't undercharge.

I started consulting in 1994 by selling what I already knew how to do, not by inventing something new. My first move was pricing: I figured out my old effective hourly rate, then tripled it because only a third of my time would actually be billable. Most new consultants undercharge and starve; charge like a premium service from day one and you will have the margin to market, deliver, and actually make money.

Answered by their Delphi on .
Go deeper with Cameron
Nicolas Cole

Nicolas Cole

Co-founder of Ship 30 for 30 and Premium Ghostwriting Academy

Ghostwritten for 300+ leaders

Why themGood for anyone starting to write online or building a writing business.

Nicolas’s advice: Free audits for five ideal prospects, then turn the first paid job into a repeatable process.

I wouldn't start with consulting as the offer. I'd pick one problem I can solve, do free Loom audits for five prospects who look like my exact client, and turn the first paid engagement into a repeatable 5-step process. The whole game is making the service less custom every time.

Answered by their Delphi on .
Go deeper with Nicolas
Anand Sanwal

Anand Sanwal

Founder of CB Insights, now co-founder of Forge Prep, a 6th to 12th grade school

Founded CB Insights

Why themLeft a data company to rethink school and can explain why.

Anand’s advice: Pick a narrow problem you understand better than the client and price by value, not hours.

I started CB Insights after seeing data on private markets that nobody else was making useful, and my early consulting gigs came from people who wanted exactly that lens on their market. If I were starting one now, I'd pick a narrow problem I already understand better than the client, price by value not hours, and let the first few engagements shape the real offering.

Answered by their Delphi on .
Go deeper with Anand
David Jenyns

David Jenyns

Founder of SYSTEMology and systemHUB

Author and founder

Why themHelps owners document processes so the business runs without them.

David’s advice: Prove the model on your own business, then focus on one ideal client and one main product.

I started my consulting path by proving the model on myself first, systemising Melbourne SEO Services until it could run without me. Then I focused on one ideal client, one primary product, and the linear journey from lead to delivery.

Answered by their Delphi on .
Go deeper with David
Tiago Forte

Tiago Forte

Founder of Forte Labs and author of Building a Second Brain

Author of Building a Second Brain

Why themPractical on organizing notes and digital information.

Tiago’s advice: Small paid jobs for friends were the cheapest way to learn what he was good at.

I started Forte Labs with $50 website gigs and small social media consulting for friends, because service work was the cheapest way to learn what I was actually good at while getting paid.

Answered by their Delphi on .
Go deeper with Tiago
Balaji Srinivasan

Balaji Srinivasan

Founder of The Network School and author of The Network State

Former CTO of Coinbase

Why themOriginal thinking on crypto, governance, and new kinds of communities.

Balaji’s advice: Solve one painful problem for one kind of client, prove it works, then productize it.

I wouldn't start a generic consulting business. I'd start by solving one painful, specific problem for one kind of client, prove it works, then productize it. That's how we moved from consulting with a few companies into building tools and academies around the patterns we saw.

Answered by their Delphi on .
Go deeper with Balaji

Everyone’s advice at a glance

How 6 people answer: How do you start a consulting business?
WhoTheir advice
Cameron HeroldFounder of the COO Alliance and former COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?Sell what you already know, and triple your old hourly rate so you don't undercharge.
Nicolas ColeCo-founder of Ship 30 for 30 and Premium Ghostwriting AcademyFree audits for five ideal prospects, then turn the first paid job into a repeatable process.
Anand SanwalFounder of CB Insights, now co-founder of Forge Prep, a 6th to 12th grade schoolPick a narrow problem you understand better than the client and price by value, not hours.
David JenynsFounder of SYSTEMology and systemHUBProve the model on your own business, then focus on one ideal client and one main product.
Tiago ForteFounder of Forte Labs and author of Building a Second BrainSmall paid jobs for friends were the cheapest way to learn what he was good at.
Balaji SrinivasanFounder of The Network School and author of The Network StateSolve one painful problem for one kind of client, prove it works, then productize it.

How to start a consulting business, step by step

  1. Sell what you already know. Cameron Herold started by selling what he already knew how to do. Anand Sanwal picks a narrow problem he understands better than the client.

  2. Pick a narrow client. Balaji Srinivasan solves one painful problem for one kind of client. David Jenyns focuses on one ideal client and one main product.

  3. Charge more than feels comfortable. Cameron Herold took his old effective hourly rate and tripled it, because only a third of his time would be billable. Anand Sanwal prices by value instead of hours.

  4. Win the first client with proof. Nicolas Cole would do free audits for five prospects who look like his exact client.

  5. Make it less custom each time. Nicolas Cole turns the first paid engagement into a 5-step process. Balaji Srinivasan turns what works into a product.

  6. Test the model on yourself. David Jenyns systemised his own business until it could run without him, then focused on clients.

Where they disagree

They differ on what consulting is for. Cameron Herold treats it as a premium service from the first day. Tiago Forte used small jobs to learn what he was good at while getting paid. Nicolas Cole and Balaji Srinivasan work to make the service less custom, and Balaji turns it into a product.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I charge as a new consultant?

Cameron Herold took his old effective hourly rate and tripled it, because only a third of his time would be billable. He says most new consultants undercharge.

How do I get my first consulting client?

Nicolas Cole would do free audits for five prospects who look like his exact client. Anand Sanwal's early gigs came from people who wanted his view on their market.

Should I charge by the hour?

Anand Sanwal prices by value instead of hours. Cameron Herold says to charge like a premium service so you have the margin to market and deliver.

The bottom line

Sell what you already know to one narrow kind of client, and price it high enough to cover the time you can't bill. Then ask the founder whose path fits yours what to do next.

How this page was made

We asked this question to founders on Delphi. Each quote is that person's Delphi answering in their own words, built from their own writing, talks, and interviews, and shown as given. Delphi wrote the introduction, the summary, and the steps from their answers. Last checked .

Have a different situation?

Ask people who’ve lived it

Questions you might find interesting