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5 Essentials for a Successful Grant Writing Consulting Career

Posted in Business
May 9, 2011

I left a very high-paying and satisfying career as a hospital foundation development director to enter into the unknown consulting world. Of course, a lot of factors weighed in that decision including the freedom I yearned for to work from home to raise a family. It was such a nerve-wracking transition though because I wasn't guaranteed clients that could help my family pay the bills, I couldn't count on that same amount of pay each month that I had grown accustomed to and I'd never worked for myself before. Would I make a good boss? Seriously, I wondered "Do I have what it takes to be successful?"

You may be at the same point that I was once wanting to begin your own work-for-yourself business but having some doubts about just what it takes to be good at it. Because experience is a great teacher, I can say with confidence that I have learned that there are five essentials to a successful grant consulting business that I wish someone had shared with me when I was getting started. Because I so love what I do and want to help others start the same career, I'm going to share with you those five essentials to help YOU get started:

Have the Mindset of an Entrepreneur - Two very important things to realize right off the bat about beginning your own successful business - it takes time and effort. I cannot tell you that there is just one thing you have to do to be successful. A successful business just doesn't happen overnight. It's a lot of little things that take both, you guessed it, time and effort. It takes time for people to hear about your new consulting business and it takes effort on your part to make sure that they do. You have to keep at it. Some great books to help keep you motivated are The Millionaire Mind by T. Harv. Eckert, Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill and The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks. Keep the faith!

Give Your Clients What They Both Want and Need - Your nonprofit clients will come to you to write grant applications for them. This is the nature of your business, granted. (A little pun intended.;)

But, it's up to you as the grant writing expert to guide them in their efforts. First, you have to determine if the client is even "grant ready." Do they have basic documentation in place? Do their programs merit grant money? It's up to you to review their strengths and weaknesses that could make or break their application. Sometimes, also, clients want to "chase" grant money inventing new programs just to apply for the money. It's up to you to reign them in because this technique most usually ends up in disaster. Be the guiding force in relationships with your clients - they're depending on you and your expertise.

Offer More Services Than Just Writing Grants - Nine times out of ten, my grant writing clients want me to be their one-stop-shop. They're dependent on me for funding research, inquiry letters, assessment of previous proposals and periodic follow-up reports. If you simply respond to clients wanting just one grant proposal written, already identified by them, you're leaving money on the table. Advertise yourself as the go-to person for all things grants!

Develop Fail-Proof Techniques for Both Online and Offline Marketing - Believe it or not, you can do this on a shoestring budget. Have you heard of those little social media powerhouses called Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn? Well, guess what? All of those are FREE! And, what's even better, is that there is so much FREE help on setting up those accounts and getting the most bang for your (nonexistent) buck out of them. Simply google search Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and you'll find all kinds of guides, tips and blogs to help you get started.

But remember, as great as social media boosts your presence, you have to be willing to get out from behind the computer. Don't forget the power of one-on-one networking and having a well-designed business card to help them remember you.

Leverage What and Who You Already Know - In beginning your business, spend time thinking about what you're already proficient in and playing up those skills. If you have a health care background, it would be wise to focus on writing grant applications for health care industries including hospitals, nursing homes or even disease-specific nonprofits such as, for example, cancer and juvenile diabetes.

Who you already know is just as important. Spread the word about your new business. As a nonprofit professional, you're probably already involved in the Association for Fundraising Professionals (AFP.) A great breeding ground for potential clients! If you're new to the grant writing profession, think about people you know in the nonprofit industry from church, your tennis league or your neighbors and let them know what you're doing. You never know who they can connect you with to grow your business.

So, those are five very important things that I wish someone had told me in the beginning. You're welcome. By the way, if you want to learn more on how to get started as a grant writing consultant, be sure to download my FREE "You Can Become a Grant Writing Consultant" here. It's chock-full of even more in-depth information.

Betsy Baker is a grant writer, consulting business coach and national speaker and is founder of YourGrantAuthority.com. She is dedicated to helping people jump-start their own work-from-home careers and helping nonprofits find a solution to finally end their financial struggles. For those definitely ready to take the consulting plunge, check out the GRANTcoach program designed to transform a grant writing novice into a full-fledged grant writing consultant.

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