What It Takes To Develop A Successful BI Consultancy

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Sam McKay

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In this episode, Brian talks to a range of BI experts who have managed to start and grow a successful consulting business out of their foundational skills. Listen as Rick de Groot, Paul Lucassen, and George Mount talk about what it takes to start and grow a consultancy business. They also share some tips and tricks on how to get a consulting business off the ground.
What You’ll Learn From This Episode
  • Why you should pursue a career in data
  • The business intelligence background of our guests
  • Find 2 or 3 technologies you are an expert in, and then layer them to provide value
  • Networking is important, so learn to use your contacts to find clients
  • When you produce content (e.g. blogs, books, and videos) and share free knowledge, there is no barrier to entry
  • How to find the value that you can bring to the table
  • It’s all about trial and error to see what niche fits you
  • On the feast and famine cycle: Rome wasn't built in a day, so there will be periods of variability. Always think for the long term
  • Training people and publishing books are a great way to market yourself
  • Is it better to be a generalist, a specialist, or a little bit of both?
  • How the pandemic changed consulting businesses, and how you can adapt to these changing times
  • Top advice for beginners who are thinking about consulting
  • The future in the BI consultancy market
  • The importance of sharing your knowledge with the BI community
About The Show

The Analytic Mind is your guide to navigating the evolving frontier of data, AI, & intelligent business.

Hosted by Sam McKay, CEO of EnterpriseDNA, this show dives into real-world use cases, technical strategies, and the mental models behind smart decision-making.

Each episode challenges you to move beyond tools to think critically, act strategically, and build with impact.

Whether you're refining your analytics skills or shaping your organization's data vision, this is where insight meets execution.

Stay sharp. Stay ahead. Think like an analytic mind.