How to Start a Customer Service Consulting Business

Start a customer service consulting business by following these 10 steps:

1. Plan your Customer Service Consulting Business
2. Form your Customer Service Consulting Business into a Legal Entity
3. Register your Customer Service Consulting Business for Taxes
4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
5. Set up Accounting for your Customer Service Consulting Business
6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Customer Service Consulting Business
7. Get Customer Service Consulting Business Insurance
8. Define your Customer Service Consulting Business Brand
9. Create your Customer Service Consulting Business Website
10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your customer service consulting business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

• What will you name your business?
• What are the startup and ongoing costs?
• Who is your target market?
• How much can you charge customers?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Customer Service Consulting Business Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

• Your state's business records
• Federal and state trademark records
• Social media platforms
• Web domain availability.

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

What are the costs involved in opening a customer service consulting business?

Costs involved in starting an agency are minimal. You can start with less than $1,000. You will need a CRM system for managing your clients, a computer, and a phone.

What are the ongoing expenses for a customer service consulting business?

Ongoing expenses for a customer service consulting business are minimal. Basically, you have to cover rent and utilities and costs for whatever customer relationship management software you use.

Who is the target market?

Target market are successful businesses that have hit a sticking point in revenues and profit and need help improving customer relationships so they can break through to the next level.

How does a customer service consulting business make money?

Customer service consulting companies make money by charging clients fees for consultation services.

How much can you charge customers?

Most customer service consultants can charge clients between $100/hr and $300/hr for services. The exact charge depends on your experience in the industry and your name recognition. The more successful you are, the more you can charge.

How much profit can a customer service consulting business make?

Profitability is high. Most consulting companies can make a 20% profit margin if they hire assistants to help them with their consulting business. If you're working alone, your margin is higher, but your total income may be less. Average consultant income ranges between $60,000 per year and $150,000 per year.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Make your business more profitable by partnering with non-competing firms to offer ancillary services. For example, a company may need more than just customer service help. They may need a coordinated marketing and customer service overhaul. If you can provide that to them, then you stand to make more money by consolidating both services into one.

You can also try increasing your fees over time as you gain experience.

Finally, consider creating tiered service levels, where you hire assistants to perform routine consulting jobs based on a service template you design. These lower-cost services could add substantially to your base income.

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation.

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your customer service consulting business is sued.

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

• Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
• Build your company's credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

Federal Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a customer service consulting business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

For information about local licenses and permits:

• Check with your town, city or county clerk’s office
• Get assistance from one of the local associations listed in US Small Business Associations directory of local business resources.

Certificate of Occupancy

Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO).  A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.

• If you plan to lease a location:
• It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
• Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a customer service consulting business.
• After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening, it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued.

• If you plan to purchase or build a location:
• You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
• Review all building codes and zoning requirements for your business’ location to ensure your customer service consulting business will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.

Services Contract

Customer service consulting businesses should require clients to sign a services agreement before starting a new project. This agreement should clarify client expectations and minimize risk of legal disputes by setting out payment terms and conditions, service level expectations, and intellectual property ownership.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

Is this Business Right For You?

This business is perfect for individuals with good people skills and a drive to facilitate good communication between two or more people.

What happens during a typical day at a customer service consulting business?

A day in the life of a consulting company consists of meeting with clients, following up with prospects and managing client attitude and behaviors.

Most consulting firms spend a lot of time researching their clients' customers and target market. This takes up the bulk of the time spend on a client's project. For example, a consulting company working with a coffee shop might spend a significant amount of time researching the local demographic, comparing it to how much the coffee shop charges for its coffee and teas, what type of clientele it is trying to serve, the coffee shop's location, and so on.

If a coffee shop owner is serving a high-end client, who demands microlots and custom brews, including hand poured coffee, then service should be focused on providing a unique experience for each customer. This is not the type of coffee shop that sells coffee as a commodity.

A consultant might stress the need for knowledgeable baristas with years of experience, education, and training.

If, on the other hand, a coffee shop is mass marketing its coffee to a middle or low-income market, then the customer service strategy might be more focused on providing fast and polite service.

Consulting companies must also document all recommendations to their clients, maintain excellent records and, of course, provide excellent service to its own clients. Consulting companies also typically provide monthly or quarterly reports to clients.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful customer service consulting business?

Excellent management, and customer service, is a must. If you do not know how to talk to people, you obviously cannot sell that service to others. Aside from that, you must have good organizational skills and the ability to communicate your message effectively to another company's management.

Working for another consulting agency helps you "get your feet wet," and also gives you the relevant experience.

A business degree may help, but customer service strategies are often driven by experience as opposed to academic theory or study.

What is the growth potential for a customer service consulting business?

Companies are typically run as small agencies. However, larger companies do exist. Some of them cross over from customer service to providing a blend of customer service and management consulting, like McKinsey & Co., Accenture and Marsh & McLennan.