As a business owner, you know that having the right guidance and expertise can make all the difference in the success of your venture. A business consultant can provide you with the insight and advice you need to streamline processes and increase profits. But what should you expect from a virtual business consultant?By default, the IRS (and the state) will consider a consultant to be a sole proprietorship, unless the business owner forms an LLC or a corporation. This means that if someone sues the consultant or the consultant cannot pay the business debts, the consultant's personal finances and assets would be at risk.
It is important to understand this before engaging with a virtual business consultant. A virtual business address can provide you with the security and privacy you need so that you don't have to worry about sellers or customers arriving at your home without warning. Having a virtual business address can save you the worry of customers or suppliers showing up at your door. It is also due to my experience supervising beginning consultants and to the many conversations and partnerships I have had with consultants and clients in the United States and abroad. Using a company's personal address could “pierce the corporate veil” and make you personally responsible for business debts and obligations. If you want your business to look professional, a real traveling business address will generate more credibility and protect your privacy and personal information.
Some jurisdictions may require general business licenses; there may be zoning permits; or a consultant may need a professional or occupational license (for example, if you have a business from home or if you need an address for your business in another city, you can obtain a virtual business address).Once you've researched how to start a consulting business and are ready to make it a reality, you can streamline the process with CorpNet. This free, easy-to-use online tool helps small business owners navigate the process of choosing the right business structure for their small business. A virtual business address is based on the Internet for meetings, document exchange, telephone answering and video conferencing, so that employees, no matter where they are, can stay in touch. The increase in consensus, commitment, learning and future effectiveness are not intended as a substitute for the most common purposes of management consulting, but as desirable results of any truly effective consulting process. These purposes have received more attention in the literature on organizational development and in the writings of behavioral consultants than in the field of management consulting. Some marketing assets that are “must-haves” for most consultants include a website, a LinkedIn presence, and business cards.
When working with a virtual business consultant, it is important to ask questions about what services they offer and what reports or documents they will provide after their work is complete.
