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Unique proposition for Associates

entier's service offering appeals to the following potential associates:

• existing Independent consultants seeking to continue or expand their business;
• employees in corporate consultancy organisations wanting to move out of corporate life and set up on their own.

Common issues facing independent consultants

There are a number of common issues or concerns for independent consultants. Our unique model provides a flexible approach to help address some of these, which we believe, is the future model of working in the new economy.

Problems building and servicing a client portfolio

Most independent consultants, in the early stages of their business, suffer from a lack of work. Sometimes even those with high skills can lack the necessary marketing and business skills to ensure an acceptable flow of fee paying assignments. Conversely, freelance consultants who have the ability to sell their services effectively can easily create a situation whereby they are over-committed, resulting in either the need to turn down a hard won assignment or to deliver work to the client later than promised. In addition clients' real needs often fall outside the scope of the freelance consultant. This means lost revenue opportunities, lower client service and reduced credibility.

Isolation

The advantages of independence are well known. It is often forgotten that working for yourself usually means by yourself; with no reliable source of advice and support; no consistent forum to share ideas; no sense of working in association with like-minded people.

Extending your skills

Working on your own often means you build a reputation in one area and five years down the track you could still be doing the same type of work with the same clients at the same level of income. How do you find time to retrain? How do you persuade your clients you can add significant value in other areas? Do you have to start all over again getting new clients?

Is small really beautiful?

Being seen as a freelance consultant immediately raises several issues in the clients' mind.

• Consistent quality of work across disciplines
• Access to other skills with proven ability and back-up in case of illness (vital under IR35 rules)
• Existing clients expect personal service and attendance on all aspects of their project to meet the full range of their needs

In addition, independent consultants often find:

• Fee rates are considerably lower than is appropriate for the expertise provided
• The terms of business are often uncommercial
• Collecting money can be time consuming and sometimes infective.

Is the next step expansion?

Where a freelance consultant has built a successful 'personal' client base they often find it difficult to recruit additional people into the practice. Apart from the recruitment costs, very few independent consultants can afford to subsidise the new recruit and provide the necessary training. Increased accommodation costs, salaries and other overheads are all additional burdens which result in a negative cash flow and can undermine the confidence of those involved.

Assign or sub-contract with safety and trust?

Opportunities for assignments outside the freelance consultant's own areas of expertise are often seen, but can rarely be exploited fully due to the absence of a contract with another consultancy practice. Experience shows that informal arrangements rarely work effectively. Though most consultants do, in time, establish relationships with consultants in other disciplines very little extra work flows from these relationships. There is also the question of trust - would you wish to provide another consultant or company your clients' details which you have built over time?

entier Solution

We are a different kind of consultancy and we offer our associates a unique and flexible model of working, which we believe is the future model for the new economy. Our associates are not employees, but have chosen to work together in a formal way that enables us to deliver a wide range of services of the highest quality. By working together in this way, we enhance the fee earning potential of everyone involved.

Unlike corporate consultancy there is no limit to our earnings. We provide the back-up expected of an efficient company, and a highly personalised development programme that builds effective and marketable skills. We endeavour to:

• Nurture and support the professional and personal development of our associates
• Provide the structure and quality systems that enable our consultants to command fees commensurate with larger specialist consultancies
• Deliver multi-disciplinary solutions to a wide range of client problems
• Enhance the practical experience and professionalism of senior managers and mature associates and create a vehicle for them to fully exploit their talents in a consultancy environment
• Create a high achieving and supportive environment where associates work together to mutual benefit and enjoyment
• Ensure the only limit to achievement and earnings are set by each associate themselves
• Ensure our associates are truly empowered to win, develop and deliver quality work to clients because we work together in partnership

Status

All those who join us need to register as a limited company, through which they can provide all their consultancy services. Their limited company is in turn under contract to entier for the provisions of consultancy services.

Commission Model

One of the unique benefits from our model is the reward structure. We recognise the importance of sales and growth and provide a unique range of incentives to our associates to encourage our philosophy of growing together. There are no pressures of sales targets but simply a commission model that rewards effort and loyalty. For more information on this important part of our proposition click here (link to commission model)Quality Standards

The continuing success of entier depends on the quality and commitment of the associates (and partners) who choose to work with us. We therefore are very thorough in our selection process e.g. we will only work with recommended individuals sponsored through already known network of associates.

Benefits for our associates

For those employees in corporate consultancy organisations seeking to break out of the corporation and set up on their own and wish to join us we offer a comprehensive service through our firm of accountants including:

• Limited company set up
• VAT registration
• Advise on split of income and dividends

We also offer a comprehensive service through our firm of financial services advisors including:

• Participation in profit share scheme subject to qualifying period
• Membership of Group Life and Critical Illness cover
• Financial advise on financial planning e.g. pensions
• Professional Indemnity Insurance cover

All of those who join us can benefit from the following on joining:

• Potential to considerably increase your fee earning capability through our Commission Model
• IR35 proof contract
• Use of entier web site services including your own personal email account and our "Portable CV" facility
• Use of entier business card and stationery
• Unique commission model
• High class support network
• Efficient collection and payment of client fees
• Formal and personalised induction
• Personal development support
• On-going personal coaching and mentoring
• Direct support on sales and client development visits
• Co-ordination of cross selling opportunities
• Big company credibility