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31 Example A group of consultants undertook a literature review for a client. As the project progressed, they uncovered more articles of relevance and learned considerably more about the whole field. Their enthusiasm for the project grew into a determination to do their very best for the client – which meant that by the end of the project they had a huge and shapeless mass of material, which they struggled to organise into a coherent report. Ultimately, the client was disappointed with the deliverables and the project team were frustrated that they were unable to communicate all they had learned. Further Work Professional consulting firms aim to build their businesses by selling further work to existing clients and they start on this goal early. If you can see tasks relating to, but outside of, your current project that would benefit the client, you should certainly consider suggesting this during the course of the project. Only do this when you have established your ability to carry out the current project with some success, and always proceed carefully, taking the temperature of the water as you go and bear in mind the prospective benefits to the client. Statutory Requirements Like all commercial activities, consultancy has certain requirements imposed on it by law. The specific details will depend on the nature of your work and are beyond the scope of this Guide. Some help can be found at the references provided in Section 7. Especially note that there are requirements on the keeping of business records, particularly tax records, as well as on accounting and financial reporting. Managing the Client This is generally the less well undertaken of the two management tasks, but it is certainly as important as managing the project. Consultancy is a service business and irrespective of what the proposal or the terms of business say the primary objective is to make the client happy. Operating Section 5