The Academy of Business Strategy
The Academy of Business Strategy is a global consulting organization, featuring in excess of 150 Certified Professional Consultants (CPC) who have been employed by more than 850 organizations worldwide.
The Academy does not undertake short-term interim management, project management, or non-executive services, but we do have a separate database of Associates of the Academy of Business Strategy (AABS) who do provide such services.
Our Certified Professional Consultants (CPC) only undertake long-term assignments, (usually five years), and focus upon facilitating implementation with the best clients that are prepared to employ us. Our services tend to be structural, rather than project-orientated.
The Academy is not an organization that clients would outsource to. In fact we create clients work. The benefit of our services is enablement. Our unique service proposition is facilitation by service development, which means that services in all cases are developed, tried, tested and established together with their intended markets.
The Academy has been involved in the planning, development, implementation and management of hundreds of consulting services, each featuring their own individual unique service proposition. New business is developed either through service development with established client partners, or through introductions from strategic alliances with business partners.
The Academy does not undertake short-term interim management, project management, or non-executive services, but we do have a separate database of Associates of the Academy of Business Strategy (AABS) who do provide such services.
Our Certified Professional Consultants (CPC) only undertake long-term assignments, (usually five years), and focus upon facilitating implementation with the best clients that are prepared to employ us. Our services tend to be structural, rather than project-orientated.
The Academy is not an organization that clients would outsource to. In fact we create clients work. The benefit of our services is enablement. Our unique service proposition is facilitation by service development, which means that services in all cases are developed, tried, tested and established together with their intended markets.
The Academy has been involved in the planning, development, implementation and management of hundreds of consulting services, each featuring their own individual unique service proposition. New business is developed either through service development with established client partners, or through introductions from strategic alliances with business partners.
Business Development at ABS
The Academy of Business Strategy has always achieved new business either through introduction from existing clients, students, global consulting strategic alliances, business school strategic alliances, or through service development.
We do not advocate cold calling, hard selling, or the generation of unqualified enquiries, which can be devoid of commitment. The consulting industry historically has always used direct marketing methods to generate appointments which have not been pre-qualified.
Proposals are then produced in an attempt to identify core objectives and potential
service benefits. This is reflected in that fact that the industry converted no more than 16 per cent of all enquiries generated globally in the year to March 2004.
The fact that Academy of Business Strategy services only involve long-term assignments means that we can ultimately be more selective over client evaluation and selection.
Our services are also tangible products, which helps clients to understand what they are being asked to buy and how it will be implemented. In our experience, a client really just needs to understand two facts:
1. Why the consultant they are considering is different, (unique service proposition).
2. How the consulting service actually works, (service activity rather than benefits).
We do not advocate cold calling, hard selling, or the generation of unqualified enquiries, which can be devoid of commitment. The consulting industry historically has always used direct marketing methods to generate appointments which have not been pre-qualified.
Proposals are then produced in an attempt to identify core objectives and potential
service benefits. This is reflected in that fact that the industry converted no more than 16 per cent of all enquiries generated globally in the year to March 2004.
The fact that Academy of Business Strategy services only involve long-term assignments means that we can ultimately be more selective over client evaluation and selection.
Our services are also tangible products, which helps clients to understand what they are being asked to buy and how it will be implemented. In our experience, a client really just needs to understand two facts:
1. Why the consultant they are considering is different, (unique service proposition).
2. How the consulting service actually works, (service activity rather than benefits).
What is a Tangible Consulting Service?
Academy of Business Strategy Consultants do not charge for their advice or opinions, or for their time. It is unlikely that an external consultant could ever know as much about a client's organization than the clients themselves. Any consultant who is prepared to sell advice, opinions, or experience, is likely to be a potentially useless investment at least, or a potentially dangerous risk if provided too much power and freedom.
Consider a consulting service as a product. It should be no different than buying a computer or an automobile. You should be able to see it and test-drive it. At the Academy of Business Strategy we simply productize consulting services so that they are easier to understand. We take the view that consulting any other way can be a bit like trying to sell a book, before we have written it!
For example, it could be a software that you ultimately develop, a training programme, a corporate structure, a book or business guide, a production or operations manual, or even a series of presentations or workshops. With these examples, it would always be much clearer for a client to understand exactly what they would be buying and how the service would work.
Many consultants merely want to charge for their time, in the same way that an employee would, based upon the qualifications or experience which they have achieved. The problem with selling knowledge or opinions, is that short-term value will always be difficult to achieve, and long-term value will be almost impossible.
Consider a consulting service as a product. It should be no different than buying a computer or an automobile. You should be able to see it and test-drive it. At the Academy of Business Strategy we simply productize consulting services so that they are easier to understand. We take the view that consulting any other way can be a bit like trying to sell a book, before we have written it!
For example, it could be a software that you ultimately develop, a training programme, a corporate structure, a book or business guide, a production or operations manual, or even a series of presentations or workshops. With these examples, it would always be much clearer for a client to understand exactly what they would be buying and how the service would work.
Many consultants merely want to charge for their time, in the same way that an employee would, based upon the qualifications or experience which they have achieved. The problem with selling knowledge or opinions, is that short-term value will always be difficult to achieve, and long-term value will be almost impossible.
Associates of the Academy of Business Strategy (AABS) Earn While You Learn
The Associate Service Explained
AUTHOR : Justin. P.R. Lewis MBA DIM
WHO CAN REGISTER AS AN ASSOCIATE?
Anyone who is registered as a student on either the Post-Graduate Certified Professional Consultant (CPC) program or on the Post-Graduate Certificate in Career Management Strategy (CCMS) program are eligible to register as an Associate of the Academy of Business Strategy (AABS) if they need or desire to earn income while training.
WHAT DOES IT COST AND HOW MUCH CAN I EARN?
There is no charge whatsoever for the Associate service. Associate assignments are usually between 6-18 months and are invariably project-related. Remuneration for Associate work is now set by the Academy directly rather than by the client and amounts to $100.00 USD per hour or $800.00 USD per day and you can choose whether to work between three or five days per week, enabling you to have more time to study when necessary.
CPC ASSOCIATE ASSIGNMENTS
CPC Associate assignments constitute an interim outsourcing requirement in relation to a CPC service that is currently being implemented with clients. This means that you would be directly responsible to an established CPC or DPC consultant and this subsequently provides students with valuable CPC consulting experience and helps them to shape their own unique consulting service propositions.
CCMS ASSOCIATE ASSIGNMENTS
CCMS Associate assignments constitute an interim outsourcing requirement in relation to the CCMS student's short-medium term objectives under their own career development plan. This means that clients will understand that these students are planning parallel careers and are in the process of developing and implementing a proactive career management plan. Consequently such candidates will always be in strong demand from clients who see the Associate database as a unique opportunity to experience working with more proactive individuals in a professional capacity with a view towards ultimately fulfilling a core vacancy. The difference between a peripheral and core vacancy is explained on the Academy of Business Strategy CCMS program web site.
HOW MANY REGISTERED ASSOCIATES ACHIEVE ASSIGNMENTS?
Demand has always outstripped supply with the Associate database because candidates are only eligible to register as an Associate if they are also a registered student with the Academy. The Associate database generates on average 150 opportunities from clients every month and we only invariably have approximately 100 Associates registered at any one time for each program. The employment ratio for Associates of the Academy of Business Strategy has been sustained at 2:1 during the past ten years but has now increased to 3:1 during the past 12 months since the recession as more and more companies are being forced to outsource to independents. This means that out of every four Associates registered, three will ultimately be placed on an Associate assignment.
WILL I HAVE TO RE-LOCATE?
It does not really matter where you are located at the moment. We have Associates worldwide in most major cities. You just need to decide where you would want your Associate clients to be. If for example you intended to stay in the country where you live at the moment while you are studying, then you can list a major city within easy reach of where you live. This would probably be advisable if you are currently employed because you could remain with your existing employer, register as an Associate at the same time and then hand your notice in with your existing employer once you have secured your first Associate assignment. Alternatively you could list a city where you would like to work, London, New York, Paris, Milan, Tokyo, or Moscow for example. Our clients in these areas would simply be made aware that they may need to sponsor an application for an employment visa if they intended to employ you internally within their organisation. It is also possible to obtain online work while studying as a CPC. Many CPCs and DPCs outsource work to Associates who work from home now and this is an extremely useful way of earning additional income and obtaining valuable consulting experience at the same time, but without the upheaval and associated risk of moving home or leaving your current employment position.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Justin. P.R. Lewis MBA DIM is a recruitment placement specialist or a head hunter. He has worked as a head hunter for blue chip companies in both the professional service sector and in the communications and information technology sector. He has been employed as an Associate Director at the Academy of Business Strategy for the past 10 years and is subsequently responsible for fulfilling registered clients' outsourcing requirements.
WHO CAN REGISTER AS AN ASSOCIATE?
Anyone who is registered as a student on either the Post-Graduate Certified Professional Consultant (CPC) program or on the Post-Graduate Certificate in Career Management Strategy (CCMS) program are eligible to register as an Associate of the Academy of Business Strategy (AABS) if they need or desire to earn income while training.
WHAT DOES IT COST AND HOW MUCH CAN I EARN?
There is no charge whatsoever for the Associate service. Associate assignments are usually between 6-18 months and are invariably project-related. Remuneration for Associate work is now set by the Academy directly rather than by the client and amounts to $100.00 USD per hour or $800.00 USD per day and you can choose whether to work between three or five days per week, enabling you to have more time to study when necessary.
CPC ASSOCIATE ASSIGNMENTS
CPC Associate assignments constitute an interim outsourcing requirement in relation to a CPC service that is currently being implemented with clients. This means that you would be directly responsible to an established CPC or DPC consultant and this subsequently provides students with valuable CPC consulting experience and helps them to shape their own unique consulting service propositions.
CCMS ASSOCIATE ASSIGNMENTS
CCMS Associate assignments constitute an interim outsourcing requirement in relation to the CCMS student's short-medium term objectives under their own career development plan. This means that clients will understand that these students are planning parallel careers and are in the process of developing and implementing a proactive career management plan. Consequently such candidates will always be in strong demand from clients who see the Associate database as a unique opportunity to experience working with more proactive individuals in a professional capacity with a view towards ultimately fulfilling a core vacancy. The difference between a peripheral and core vacancy is explained on the Academy of Business Strategy CCMS program web site.
HOW MANY REGISTERED ASSOCIATES ACHIEVE ASSIGNMENTS?
Demand has always outstripped supply with the Associate database because candidates are only eligible to register as an Associate if they are also a registered student with the Academy. The Associate database generates on average 150 opportunities from clients every month and we only invariably have approximately 100 Associates registered at any one time for each program. The employment ratio for Associates of the Academy of Business Strategy has been sustained at 2:1 during the past ten years but has now increased to 3:1 during the past 12 months since the recession as more and more companies are being forced to outsource to independents. This means that out of every four Associates registered, three will ultimately be placed on an Associate assignment.
WILL I HAVE TO RE-LOCATE?
It does not really matter where you are located at the moment. We have Associates worldwide in most major cities. You just need to decide where you would want your Associate clients to be. If for example you intended to stay in the country where you live at the moment while you are studying, then you can list a major city within easy reach of where you live. This would probably be advisable if you are currently employed because you could remain with your existing employer, register as an Associate at the same time and then hand your notice in with your existing employer once you have secured your first Associate assignment. Alternatively you could list a city where you would like to work, London, New York, Paris, Milan, Tokyo, or Moscow for example. Our clients in these areas would simply be made aware that they may need to sponsor an application for an employment visa if they intended to employ you internally within their organisation. It is also possible to obtain online work while studying as a CPC. Many CPCs and DPCs outsource work to Associates who work from home now and this is an extremely useful way of earning additional income and obtaining valuable consulting experience at the same time, but without the upheaval and associated risk of moving home or leaving your current employment position.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Justin. P.R. Lewis MBA DIM is a recruitment placement specialist or a head hunter. He has worked as a head hunter for blue chip companies in both the professional service sector and in the communications and information technology sector. He has been employed as an Associate Director at the Academy of Business Strategy for the past 10 years and is subsequently responsible for fulfilling registered clients' outsourcing requirements.
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The Academy of Business Strategy is an international corporate business school
and a global consulting organization.
The company has been established... (more)
and a global consulting organization.
The company has been established... (more)
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