Copywriting Tip: move into consulting

A copywriting student recently asked me what he could do after he'd built up a stable of clients. To grow his business, would he: raise his rates, hire staff, sub-contract work? I advised him to think about going into consulting.

In consulting, rather than writing copy yourself, you're advising companies about their communications and business writing needs, and will be teaching your skills to others. Consultants are experts, and as such command higher fees.

What do you need to become a consultant? Start with passion. You need to be passionate and excited about what you're doing.

Next, you need a good network. All businesses need copywriting, so you can build up a busy copywriting practice without necessarily devoting a lot of time to networking. However to build up a copywriting consultancy, you need to be comfortable networking, and happy to do a lot of it.

Thirdly, you'll need a track record. If you've recently started your freelance copywriting business, keep good records of the businesses you've worked for, and also an archive of the material you've written. And keep the goal of an eventual copywriting consultancy in the forefront of your mind.