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From a letter to a company featured in an article in The Economist:
My assignments are mostly a mix of technical research, writing, and
editing—plus a good deal of organizing. My employer is usually seeking
information enabling doing something outside his or her usual range of
operations.
I do internet searches—but, as often as not, the greatest progress comes
from locating and reading other firms' product literature, then contacting
people in likely firms—and government agencies; and, still, frequently,
from finding books through the public library, reading them, and informing
my employer of their contents, boiled-down—via a written report or brief
conversation. Often, I compile a notebook for the employer. A few
examples:
For a Los Angeles law firm, I studied relevant laws, decisions,
technologies, and business practices; organized a 25-person research team;
supervised their review of 4 million pages for evidence; and submitted
weekly reports—regarding a suit concerning computer networking protocol.
For Space Explorers, Inc. of De Pere, Wisconsin, I learned about low-cost
access to low earth orbit, astronomical instruments, rocket fuels,
life-support systems, etc.
Usually, I start relatively ignorant of the subject I am to gather
information about, for instance: compressed gas transport, food nutrients,
furnaces, hand tools, harvesters, pipe-cutting, road construction,
wood-working equipment.
After teaching writing, philosophy, and mathematics; and while writing books
of fiction and philosophy—from curiosity and in order to thrive, for many
years, I studied physical and life sciences, economics and history,
marketing and finance. I don't claim to be an expert—but I can understand
and help experts. My brain and hands are my main equipment.
If I can be of service to you, please let me know.
How I see the consulting business evolving:
Continue to accept assignments doing technical research for business people
and professionals at $75/hour.
Continue to make self more & more capable of advising people how to run
mission-oriented businesses: practical aspects of finance and accounting,
marketing, research and development, operations—and strategy and the
self-discipline of a chief executive officer or director.
Make it known that I seek this sort of work. Identify likely clients, write
them great, careful, one-page letters.
Compile files, and make it known that I have & am enhancing files on:
- communicable diseases, health care, prevention
- armed conflicts & defense
- governance & corruption
- malnutrition & hunger
- injustice & stubbornness
- pandering & addictions
- subsidies, trade barriers, sweetheart deals, pork barrel projects
- ignorance, arrogance, & education
- racism, sexism, ageism, religionism
- nationalism
- population & migration
- water management, sanitation, drainage, irrigation
- financial allocation & instability, & currencies
- transportation & communication
- soil, crops, herds, & seeds management
- power, energy, minerals, forests (& fires), fish
- technology management
- religion
- law, police, & prisons
- atmosphere & climate
- pollution & recovery
- culture
- human talents & skills
- hunting & gathering
- agriculture
- manufacturing
- commerce
- art
- science
- politics
Keep studying despised bodies of knowledge—philosophy, history, (non-fad)
economics, religion, art, psychology—as well as practical ways of doing
things. Keep informed about what is going on in the world—beyond the
simplistic daily news, and issues of the day.
Be capable of running the various departments of "human government"
yourself—so that you can be delegating them to various volunteers, who seek
assistance in beginning to serve that way.
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