How do I start an educational consultancy business?
The short answer is that the goal of an education consultant is to provide expertise and insight related to early childhood, primary, secondary, and higher education, either for short-term projects or ongoing assignments.
But who they consult for, and their expertise areas, can vary widely depending on the job assignment.
For some educational consultants, the clients are parents and students thinking about post-high school education options. According to Payscale,for“administering ‘career path’ exams, providing advice on the career choice of a particular student, and helping students fill out the necessary forms and applications when applying for colleges or universities.”
And for others, “An education consultant might also work with parents of special-needs children, advising them on which school might be the best fit for their child and/or helping them apply for available and appropriate grants or funding.”
However, a third type of educational consultant exists—one that works with educational organizations, like schools, colleges, and nonprofits, to improve in a variety of ways. This means educational consultants may provide expertise and guidance related to curriculum development, classroom management, or administration
If you are a highly experienced educator or a highly qualified businessperson or administrator in the education field, you may put your skills to work as an education consultant. Consultants are entrepreneurs, generally working for themselves at a significant hourly or per-project rate. This work comes with all the risks and rewards of being a small business owner: being your own boss, setting your own schedule, living with an unpredictable income, and being at the constant mercy of clients.
Determine who your target market is. You may choose to work with schools, parents and students, or companies and organizations such as textbook publishers, governments or international development organizations. Base this decision upon your expertise, your ability to contact potential customers in that market, the size of that market and the speed with which it's growing, and your passion.
Investigate your competition. Local schools or organizations may already have consultants or other resources that they use to do the same tasks you would be providing. Be particularly aware of free resources that may make your offering obsolete. Determine what needs your customers have that are not already being fulfilled. These are areas you can compete in.
Set up your business. You need a business license from your state, and in some states you may need licensure or professional insurance. You'll also need a business checking account, business cards and a website. You should consult with a certified public accountant (CPA) or tax accountant to help you separate your business finances from your personal finances. Consult with a lawyer to draw up the contracts you will use with your clients.
What is a special education consultant?
A Special Education Advocate assists families of children with any learning concerns. Some students have needs that are already identified, whereas other parents will seek advocacy support in helping them identify issues that may be affecting their child's learning.
Career Definition of a Special Education Consultant. ... Special education consultants help to develop Individual Education Plans for students with special needs. They can identify reasonable academic targets for students and help determine what students need in order to succeed in school.A Learning Consultant, or Educational Consultant, is that Mechanic. As a Learning Consultant, you're not a Teacher, but you have the same objective: Employed by schools and school districts, you help students learn subject matter and skills. ... In that case, you help families make educational choices.Their job is to understand the client and help them find a good career fit. Career consultants tend to help people who have progressed in their career and are looking to overcome a specific challenge. ... Career consultants also tend to have advanced expertise in a specific industry
