Hi all,
As some of you know I am about to start doing church work in Utah. We are anxious to get out there and get started. We only have a small fraction of the support (24%) needed to get out there and live so I am considering taking up consulting to make up the difference. What I am wondering is do you think I need one (some) of the asq or other certificates or should i be fine with my current experience? My experience includes getting a small gage house registered to QS9000/TE Sup. and getting a small stamper ready for (and hopefully registered before I leave for Utah) ISO 9000:2000. I have done CMM Layout, Process problem solving, worked in metal stamping, assembly and sequencing, tool making and repair, gage making, machining, etc...
If ASQ which Cert(s) should I go after?
Or is there some other course(s) that I should consider?
Mark

Mark I'll be as honest as I can and my friends here will back me up.

It most likely ain't gonna happen. You can hang out your shingle, but unless you bring a whole bunch to the table you'll go hungry. I've been down that road and so have many others here. You may be able to get some "piece" work, but don't set your sights on any big payoff unless your real lucky.

You can have all the "certs" in the world and a great smile, but what will sell you to most is being able to answer "What can you give me that the other guy can't" and to paraphrase the line from Jerry McGuire "Show me the money" meaning show me what you have done for someone else.

Answer this...Are you willing right now to sit 10-12 hours per day, every day, for 3, 4, 6 months without so much as a nibble, making phone calls, sending faxes, writing letters, selling yourself as the hottest commodity on the market?

I'm gonna go slightly :topic: here....

Focus on getting your support during your "Deputation". If you are truly called you don't need to make up the difference. The flowers are still clothed better than Solomon at his finest and the birds are still eating.

Hi all,
As some of you know I am about to start doing church work in Utah. We are anxious to get out there and get started. We only have a small fraction of the support (24%) needed to get out there and live so I am considering taking up consulting to make up the difference. What I am wondering is do you think I need one (some) of the asq or other certificates or should i be fine with my current experience? My experience includes getting a small gage house registered to QS9000/TE Sup. and getting a small stamper ready for (and hopefully registered before I leave for Utah) ISO 9000:2000. I have done CMM Layout, Process problem solving, worked in metal stamping, assembly and sequencing, tool making and repair, gage making, machining, etc...
If ASQ which Cert(s) should I go after?
Or is there some other course(s) that I should consider?
Mark

I will fully support Randy's remarks.

With the grace of God, I have been fortunate enough as a consultant, though I never planned on being one when I first entered industry. However, anecdotal feedback from countless people I have met around the world leads me to advise anyone the odds of success are stacked against you. Just look at the common perception of consultants in many of the Cove's threads: in general we have a bad name. Yet, years ago, that was not the case. A consultant was, back when, a true master in his/ her filed who could bring something to the client's table. He/ she operated a franchise.

Over the last 15 years or so, especially in the Quality field, consulting is now, generally, a commodity because many people who were shaken out by their employers decided to put up their shingle. Sadly, a lot of these people were the deadwood and drones having little to offer - they got consulting a bad name. And a number of large firms whose antics are well documented, being more concerned with unprofessional billings than with professional briefs screwed corporations- large and small - have exacerbated the problem.

For the same reasons, I do not publicly offer my own training courses - training, too, is seen as a commodity and the quality of most "quality" training on the market is "urine poor". The Covers know that. I do not wish to be associated with that general market place, as I wish to protect my name and reputation.

Under present day circumstances, I would not make the same decision I did in mid-August 1983 and become a consultant: I would remain an employee.

Your email suggests you are entering the field for the wrong reasons. And I would urge you to look at your own Cove slogan and ask yourself, "Am I?"

Thanks Allen and Randy. Believe it or not that is what I wanted and needed to hear. Thanks for being blunt and honest.

Mark :agree: :thanx:

Besides, you don't want to have to compete with me. ;)

Where in Utah will you be? Anything I can do to help, let me know...

Besides, you don't want to have to compete with me. ;)

Where in Utah will you be? Anything I can do to help, let me know...
Oh, I am not giving it up as an option yet. ;) But it is good to be reminded it will not be a cake walk either. Besides maybe you will need some good help. :agree1:
We will be in either Tooele or Herriman to start ( or both).
Half done with sorting. Time to eat.
Mark

We will be in either Tooele or Herriman to start ( or both).
There's a mountain between Tooele and Herriman, so it may be difficult to be in both at the same time. :lol:

If we need some help, we may give you a call. :agree:

There's a mountain between Tooele and Herriman, so it may be difficult to be in both at the same time. :lol:

If we need some help, we may give you a call. :agree:
I do know that. I grew up in Salt Lake on 9th E. and 13th So. about a block up from Hale's Bakery. The hood has changed a bit since then.
We have been plannning on starting in Herriman but just yesterday received a call from a plant in Tooele that wants our help to get it up and going. My ministry supervisor had them call me. I think I am just dumb enough to try to do both at the same time :rolleyes: . Not sure where we would live though (maybe on the mountain. Do you think we could shack in the copper mine or maybe in the military grounds. Just not sure). Herriman is quite expensive compared to our current housing :eek: . Tooele being a bedroom community might be a little harder to get on track. Where should we spend our time more? Still praying about all this and it is getting clearer but more complex as we go. ( doesn't it always though)
By the way if you are serious about that "if you need help" thing it may be an option. We will not need much as we are almost fully out of debt, so part time once in a while for extras would be nice. Just so you know.

Mark

I realize this is all way off topic but lets take it a little further. Do you know where we can get some good free pictures of the Salt Lake Area that we can use in our display as we speak to churches and friends?

I'm gonna go slightly :topic: here....

Focus on getting your support during your "Deputation". If you are truly called you don't need to make up the difference. The flowers are still clothed better than Solomon at his finest and the birds are still eating.
I really should make a habit of finishing my thoughts when I am typing. The consultant thing is to supplement until full support is raised which I know will happen in time. I hope to get the core group established etc... while raising support which is very hard to do from across the country. Anyway i realize it may be hard and I might not like or enjoy it but a fair amount of my time in quality has been doing stuff that was hard that I did not like or enjoy. I absolutly hated Programming and running CMM but it was good experience not just for quality but for life.
Any way thanks again,
Mark

Here's a site with photos: http://protophoto.com/subject.html?subject_id=174
It looks like they are user-submitted, and there is no copyright notice, so I assume they're free.

Here's a site about the area from the SLC chamber of commerce: http://www.saltlakechamber.org/visitors_info/thingstosee_do.htm
Not too many pictures here though...

Here's a site with photos: http://protophoto.com/subject.html?subject_id=174
It looks like they are user-submitted, and there is no copyright notice, so I assume they're free.

Here's a site about the area from the SLC chamber of commerce: http://www.saltlakechamber.org/visitors_info/thingstosee_do.htm
Not too many pictures here though...
Thanks for the links. I already had checked out the COC but the other site looks promising.
Mark :thanks:

I realize this is all way off topic but lets take it a little further. Do you know where we can get some good free pictures of the Salt Lake Area that we can use in our display as we speak to churches and friends?
May I suggest, especially since you are going to republish the photos to use in a brochure, that you simply write to the webmaster of each site where you hope to get photos and ask for the FREE license to use the photos before you use them?

There's no need to complicate your struggle to create a new church in a state that's practically a theocracy of a specific church by inviting litigation.

A good start for photos would be a google search using these terms ("salt lake city" +"stock photos") You can also add the term "royalty-free", but that might not apply in your case, since some photo owners would be willing to waive a royalty fee.

There are two ways to get a photo. One is by simply copying off the web page - that does not often make for a good printable photo because the file size is too small (not high enough resolution.) Often, as a second choice, photo dealers will sell CD's or DVD's of high resolution photos suitable for printing. The photos are often "royalty free" which means there is no additional cost beyond the CD, regardless of how many reproductions you make.

This is probably more than you want to know, but it salves my conscience in helping you avoid a minor criminal act by preventing you from pirating a photo.

Thanks Wes, good advice. Thank you very much for your concern and advice. I will check before using any of the photos. Especially after reading the info in the eyesore 9000 thread.
Mark :agree1:

Thanks Wes, good advice. Thank you very much for your concern and advice. I will check before using any of the photos. Especially after reading the info in the eyesore 9000 thread.
Mark :agree1:

Mark, I'm in a similar boat. I am currently working as a consultant (for an organization). I am moving to northern Michigan so my wife can care for her parents. I, too will be putting out my shingle.

Here is part of my plan. Work with agencies in your area (Economic Development, etc). Also, make yourself available as a trainer for community colleges and the like. Also, you might want to check in with your local MEP center. Perhaps they might be able to use a contractor.

Mark, I'm in a similar boat. I am currently working as a consultant (for an organization). I am moving to northern Michigan so my wife can care for her parents. I, too will be putting out my shingle.

Here is part of my plan. Work with agencies in your area (Economic Development, etc). Also, make yourself available as a trainer for community colleges and the like. Also, you might want to check in with your local MEP center. Perhaps they might be able to use a contractor.What is a MEP center?

What is a MEP center?

My apologies. I intended to explain that, but got caught up with a real "work" question. MEP stands for Manufacturing Extension Partnership. It is a network of approximately 70 centers, nation-wide. Different centers offer different services, but all are related to manufacturing. The Utah MEP can be found at http://www.mep.org/

Here is part of my plan. Work with agencies in your area (Economic Development, etc). Also, make yourself available as a trainer for community colleges and the like. Also, you might want to check in with your local MEP center. Perhaps they might be able to use a contractor.

Based on what I have been hearing about MI, there are some big pushes now for suppliers of the big 3 to also get ISO 14001 registration. Something to check into, since you haven't printed out the shingle yet. It might say ISO 9000, ISO 14000, and other stuff!

Good luck. I started on my own last year, and it has been OK for me in SE WI.

--Jodi

I am entering late in the discussion. I do not know if the requirements of the initiator of this thread have been met by various messages posted in reply. I will however like to share my experience about what a person should have with him for entering in consulting field.

One should first read and clearly understand the standards and all related guiding documents. For example, ISO 9001: 2000 is a performance standard free of procedural strings attached with 1994 version. So, one should very clearly understand the concept on which this standard has been based. He should be very clear about eight quality management principles as without this he will not be able to design and implement an effective QMS as required by ISO 9001: 2000.

Then he should be very clear about adopting the process approach in design of QMS from the very beginning. All steps in clause 4.1 should be very clearly understood and followed.

In short, the person should be so clear about principles, concepts and system requirements that he can explain it to a least educated person in the client organization in his mother tongue. One should not venture in to this area without being fully prepared, or else he will not be able to do justice to his job.