Have
you thought about developing a
healthcare consultancy business
"on the side" or as an
alternative career path? There
are many physicians who work as
healthcare consultants who not only
provide tremendous value for their
clients, but also enjoy the
flexibility and diversity of the
consulting life. Some
consultants work for small or large
firms; other appreciate the autonomy
of owning their own consulting
company.
Being
successful as an independent consultant
depends on many factors, but two are
paramount: 1) developing a good
business plan for your consulting
business, and 2) knowing how you are
uniquely qualified to help solve
business problems for your client.
You can tackle the first challenge by
learning more about business planning
(check out our
Tele-class offerings). And here are some ideas
that will help you tackle the second
challenge, knowing how you add value.
The nine categories and 41 ideas are
as follows:
Nine
categories and 41 activities
where a Physician Consultant can bring
Value
Adapted
from What Color is Your Parachute?
Robert N. Bolles (Ten Speed Press)
Identify target markets or users for
ideas or products
Identify commercial possibilities
for ideas or concepts
Examine political realities
Trace problems, ideas to their
source
-
Create commercial possibilities
for abstract ideas or concepts
Terminate
people/projects/processes
Help others express views
Help others clarify goals and
values
Sell an idea, program, or course
of action to decision makers
Raise capital for nonprofit
institutions
Raise capital for business
ventures
Perceive and define
cause-and-effect relationships
Extract the essence from large
quantities of data
Judge people's effectiveness
Identify and assess other's
potential
Analyze communication situations
Allocate scarce resources
After
you have reviewed the list once, read
through it again and picture yourself
in different client scenarios.
The scenario might be a healthcare
system, a pharmaceutical firm, a
physician group practice, a technology
or device company, an insurance
company, a medical publications
company, a health venture firm, or any
number of other healthcare or
non-healthcare related organizations.
Going through
the list is also helpful for
physicians who are contemplating
career change out of clinical
practice. What resonates with
you as you read through the list?
If you can identify one or two
categories that say "that's
me!" then you have taken a giant
step forward in making a transition.
For more guidance on career
transition, check out our home study
guide, Physician's
Definitive Guide to Career Transition
Francine R.
Gaillour, MD, Business Consultant and Executive Coach for
Healthcare Leaders francine@physicianleadership.com,
(206) 686-4205
Be
sure read also: What
is your value-add as a business
consultant
