Knowledge is power. It also is the source of income for consultants. The more you know — the more client problems you can solve with your knowledge — the more you will earn. Your education, training, and experience form the base on which you will build your inventory of knowledge. In addition, you will use trade associations, conventions and seminars, books, magazines and trade journals, and other valuable resources. Nearly all can be accessed through one of the most powerful tools for consultants: the Internet.

The Internet

The Internet has not only changed business over the past decade, it also has dramatically changed education and experience. The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks. Data is exchanged between the computers using a data language called Internet Protocol. Each digital message includes its destination address, just like letters in the postal system. The messages are distributed to the appropriate computer by using its address. The messages may be information, files, instructions, or other data. When you open up a new web page in your computer's browser program, it sends a request for data, accepts it from the Internet, and displays it on your computer screen.

Because the Internet Protocol and other codes are standardized worldwide, your computer can communicate with other computers anywhere in the world. You can exchange e-mail with friends in France or download programs from Dubai. The Internet is a tool that most consultants cannot do without.

How do consultants use the Internet? The most obvious uses are electronic mail (e-mail), file transfer, and graphic display. HyperText Markup Language (HTML) is used to display text and graphics on computer screens. Financial consultants can watch stock market activity in real time, personal trainers can communicate with clients via e-mail, and salary administrators can do research on the latest employment trends. Nearly all consultants can benefit from the Internet. It's a vital resource.

Trade Associations for Consultants

A trade association is a group of businesses that agree to share information regarding their trade among themselves. Plumbers have them, car makers have them — and so do consultants. A comprehensive listing of trade and consumer associations is available at most public libraries under the title Encyclopedia of Associations, published by Gale Research/Cengage Learning (http://gale.cengage.com). You also can find associations using online search engines.

There are associations for bridal consultants, acoustical consultants, merger and acquisition consultants, professional writing consultants, computer consultants, airport consultants, insurance management consultants, and many others.

A few of the trade associations for business consultants include: