THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

When people ask Carol Schulbe Erdman how to start a consulting business, she offers a flip reply: "First, you get fired." That's precisely what happened to her in 1994, when her employer underwent a reorganization, and she lost a high-powered position as head of employment and training. But instead of rushing right out to print up her own business cards, Erdman decided to play it cool. She spent four months working on a mission statement, researching her field, networking to build contacts, and thinking deeply about what she wanted to accomplish.

"Rather than scramble for business at the beginning," she says, "I took the time to set up a business the way I thought it should be set up."

For Erdman, that meant creating a business with built-in flexibility, so she could work from home, control her hours (she wanted to cut back from a 60-hour work week), and most importantly, spend more time with her young son. Money, she emphasizes, was not a motivator. And yet, Erdman has succeeded almost despite herself. She now draws a six-figure salary and boasts a blue-chip client roster, ranging from giant construction contractor Whiting-Turner to British Aerospace. At the same time, she still manages on occasion to have lunch with her son, or run out back for a mid-day game of catch.

How did Erdman manage to create the best of both worlds? The key, she says, lies in her approach to her specialty. Whereas many human resource consultants peddle training products of one sort or another, Erdman comes to a client with "questions centered around performance." She digs deeply into her clients' corporate psyche to identify barriers to success, and refuses to offer quick fixes, such as a two-day stress management seminar. "I think what I brought [initially] was a different perspective, and a welcomed perspective. What I bring now is a track record."

Erdman also insists upon providing "exquisite service," with an emphasis on quality, as a way to retain clients and get repeat business. The approach has evidently worked; she now spends less than 10 percent of her time marketing, and most of her new business now comes through referrals. "The more you talk to people about something you're excited about, the more people believe in you. Those [people] become my clients, and they're still my clients."

As to being pushed into entrepreneurship, Erdman has no regrets. "When I'm retired and look back on my life, I believe this will be one of my most rewarding experiences, because I truly believe I can make a difference" in organizations, she says. As a solo practitioner, she admits to missing the comraderie that is an integral part of working in a larger organization. Still, she is intent on remaining independent -- no empire-building for her -- because she is able to focus on creating rather than managing. And for Carol Erdman, that's what being an entrepreneur is all about.

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