Presenter:
Matt Feldmann, Ph.D., Principal Researcher and Owner, Goshen Education Consulting, Inc. 

Description: 
As a program evaluator, are you thinking about going out on your own? For many, this is an exciting but intimidating prospect. This workshop will reveal the simple but essential design and start-up skills needed for success. Matt Feldmann will lead this important introductory workshop that has been foundational to the development of many consulting practices and small internal independent evaluation shops. In addition to providing rich information on a variety of topics including marketing, financial planning, and business structures, the workshop also will include valuable samples, worksheets, and insider tips. You will identify your clients, your services, and your competitive edge and have an opportunity to prepare an action plan. Do you have what it takes? This lively workshop will help you find out and will provide what you need to tackle the tasks ahead.

The following are comments from independent consulting workshop participants:
“I liked the presenter’s style, pacing, information and personal insights based on experience.” 
“I liked the variety of topics covered and the resources offered.”

Learning Outcomes:

1. Consultant attributes of consultants
2. Responses to the survey of independent consultants with focus on new independent consultants
3. How to identify a niche (i.e., a target market)
4. Marketing to an evaluation audience
5. Strategies for identifying evaluation costs
6. Key business startup elements
7. Tracking time
8. Branding

Facilitation Experience:
In total Matt has presented 12 workshops on independent consulting skills. This has included presenting the 6 – hour pre-conference workshop on introductory consulting skills four times (with Gail Barrington once and with Laura Keene all 4 times). He presented the intermediate workshop with Gail & Laura in 2019. He presented the introductory workshop at the Summer Evaluation Institute in 2019. He also has presented independent consulting workshops for the Indiana Evaluation Association (April 2018, January 2020), Chicagoland Evaluation Association (January 2018, May 2019) and the Evaluation Association of St Louis (November 2018).

Primary Audience: 
Experienced evaluators who would like to develop a consulting practice that is either complementary to their existing job or a stand alone consulting practice.