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FAQs
General:
What is Women in Consulting?
Why is this a women-only group?
Company Perspective:
How is WIC run? What services are provided?
What need does Women in Consulting fill?
Why should I hire a consultant?
Why would I use WIC over another network of consultants?
What rates do WIC consultants charge?
Are WIC consultants national, regional or local?
Are there specific requirements to become a WIC member?
Member Perspective:
What need does Women in Consulting fill for a consultant
like me?
Who should join Women in Consulting?
How many people visit the Women in Consulting site
per month?
How many attend the monthly events?
General
What is Women in Consulting?
Women in Consulting (WIC) is a dynamic organization of seasoned
professional consultants in a broad range of more than 30 specialties,
ranging from engineering to financial advising and marketing toweb
design. Our members are a premier resource for businesses seeking
expert consultants to deliver specific, high-quality results A non-profit
corporation, WIC was established in 1998 as a collaborative community
to help foster successful consulting practices.
Why is this a women-only group?
Our goal is to create and maintain a place where women can come
together and feel comfortable sharing ideas and experiences about
running a consultancy. Of course men may leverage the network to
get and give referrals. However, membership is reserved for women
only.
Company Perspective
How is WIC run? What services
are provided?
WIC is a 100% volunteer 501c-6 non-profit professional organization.
The board members are nominated each year to deliver outstanding
services to members. Services include a listing in the WIC directory,
monthly meetings including two member-only meetings, opportunities
for exposure via the web site and WIC marketing efforts and access
to recommended resources and ideas provided through the email discussion
forum.
What need does Women in Consulting fill?
Bay Area businesses need access to top-notch talent to help solve
mission critical business issues. WIC offers a convenient and free
resource to businesses to help identify skilled talent via our online
searchable database of consultants. Consultants from different disciplines
are easy to identify and contact through www.womeninconsulting.org.
Why should I hire a consultant?
Working with highly skilled consultants can reduce your time to
market, increase sales and produce results more quickly. Consultants
can give you expertise that isn’t available in-house while
gaining valuable, objective insights. You get quick results from
seasoned professionals who are adept at developing creative business
solutions. Consultants are variable business expense resources –
they can be retained for only the duration of the project, and do
not require the overhead associated with permanent employees.
Consultants are invaluable when you have a:
- Mission critical business project, but no internal expertise
or bandwidth
- Larger workload to manage with reduced head count or reduced
budget
- Employee leave of absence
- Need for a critical interim senior staff member
- Need to produce a result you have never produced before
Why would I use WIC over another network
of consultants?
- Over 80% of WIC members have 10+ years of industry experience,
with roughly 68% running their own consulting practice for 3+
years
- Over 51% of WIC members have masters degrees and 65% have served
in senior management positions as full time employees
- Our members work with a wide variety of companies; over 87%
have worked with start up companies and over 90% with Fortune
500 firms
What rates do WIC consultants charge?
Rates are set by each consultant. They are based on the complexity
of the project, the specific deliverables and timeline involved.
You will need to contact WIC consultants directly for details regarding
pricing.
Are WIC consultants national, regional
or local?
The majority of WIC members are located in the San Francisco Bay
Area however many of them work with national or international teams
to deliver project objectives. WIC has also recently expanded its
network by adding regional affiliate groups in Sacramento, San Francisco,
the East Bay and continues to assess new geographic locations.
Are there specific requirements to become
a WIC member?
Women in Consulting is committed to supporting the ongoing effectiveness
of independent women consultants’ businesses and to providing
a forum to discuss their business needs, network, share information
and learn about starting, running and promoting an independent consulting
practice. There is no formal screening process. However, WIC memberships
are structured to encourage regular participation in meetings and
educational events and requires a commitment from the individual
consultant. As a result, WIC consultants are serious about running
a sustainable consulting practice, not in between full-time positions.
Member Perspective
What need does Women in Consulting fill
for a consultant like me?
No other organization provides the dynamic energy and proactive
approach towards supporting members in growing their business. Meetings
include opportunities for structured networking to encourage affiliations
and lead sharing with other participants. Topics relevant to today’s
consulting issues are addressed by compelling speakers who are encouraged
to offer insight and practical, actionable solutions to difficult
business issues. The email discussion forum provides an immediate
resource for critical consulting issues on an as needed basis. Participation
is the key to our success – our members are committed to delivering
high quality products and services to their clients – and
they learn how to improve their skills through active participation
in Women in Consulting.
Who should join Women in Consulting?
Membership is designed for consultants who want to get the most
out of Women in Consulting by attending a majority of the meetings
and getting to know other WIC members. Face-to-face dialogues with
other members provides a more targeted, individualized opportunity
to gain advice and information that will allow you to succeed in
your consulting practice. All membership dues are paid online via
Acteva through a link on the web site at www.womeninconsulting.org/join.html.
How many people visit the Women in Consulting
site per month?
Over 1,000 people visit the Women in Consulting site per month.
How many attend the monthly events?
Monthly attendance consistently ranges between 75 and 100 attendees
per meeting.
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