CollegePlannerPro Blog

CollegePlannerPro is dedicated to providing business tools and resources for independent consultants at every stage of their business. When looking to add team members to a solo practice, IECs often question when and where to begin. 

We conducted a survey of independent college consultants who work with others, whether it be a part-time assistant or a team of 20 consultants. The goal of this survey is to shed light on the current state of the industry and best practices for growing IEC teams. We had nearly 100 responses to our survey and published our results in the following infographic. 

The CollegePlannerPro team was joined by four IECs for a transparent conversation regarding the pricing of college consulting services. During the insightful conversation, our panelists shared their experiences and opinions and attendees chimed in with questions and commentary. The CollegePlannerPro team shared relevant data from the results of our IEC pricing survey. For a more detailed analysis of the survey results, please download the guide below. 

It could be said that one of the most debated topics in the world of independent educational consultants is how to be compensated for one’s work: hourly or comprehensively. In my practice, Garrett Educational Consulting, I offer comprehensive packages and over the years have been able to tweak my process to make this model work best for me and my practice. A comprehensive model helps me account for the time, effort, and expense associated with gaining and maintaining the knowledge necessary to best serve my clients.

"Educators often forget that they have a right to be compensated for their expertise and should not be made to feel badly about that."

In all the years that I have taught and mentored both new consultants and school-based counselors, the one issue that has not changed is their perception that we are somehow not allowed to value our own time or experience. This is probably a result of education having been a primarily female occupation for so many years. We are taught that we must be nurturers and that what we do is more ministry than work. Hogwash!! What we must do is value ourselves and what we offer to others. It all comes down to boundaries.

Most companies—large, small, and everywhere in between—rely on software platforms and online tools in order to run more efficiently. For large companies, these systems are essential and the benefits seem obvious. Sharing information between departments and managing hundreds or even thousands of clients would be near impossible without tools for automation and data storage.

When operating or launching a much smaller business, such as an independent educational consulting practice, there is a greater importance placed on the cost-benefit of each tool implemented. To help with this, we’ve highlighted eight key benefits that a student management platform can provide an IEC practice.

A blank Google doc is the worst.

Especially when you’re a blogger.

But what’s even worse is not knowing the components of writing a great blog post at all. So what if you have the most beautiful, flawless writing ever? If it’s not formatted, optimized, shared and researched, nobody knows about it.

Trust me, I’ve had a blog that nobody reads. Not a great feeling.

I’ve been blogging since 2019 and have created content for many brands since 2017 and it all forced me to understand the critical components of how to write a great blog post.

Here are the secrets!

In CollegePlannerPro's recent COVID-Impact Survey, 53% of survey participants reported business growth since the pandemic hit in March, with 19% reporting significant business growth. Citing the uncertainty and changing landscape of college admissions, less access to school counselors, and the ability to reach more students virtually, 28% of survey participants made the prediction that COVID-19's impact will have a positive financial result on their individual businesses and/or the IEC industry as a whole. 

Email marketing can help independent educational consultants foster better customer relationships and build a stronger brand, both of which will contribute to a growing business. 

In this blog post, we outline the four critical steps to building a successful email strategy. 

CollegePlannerPro recently hosted a webinar in conjunction with Human eSources, one of our trusted partners and the creators of the AchieveWorks® suite of assessments. Human eSources has been developing assessment tools for well over 20 years, and they have an impressive track record, to say the least. The methodologies that form the foundation of their tools have been recognized internationally, as well as received lots of acclaim from researchers and educators alike. 

CollegePlannerPro was fortunate enough to join and sponsor the IECA Professional Members retreat last month in Phoenix, AZ. Participants spent the retreat with their business hats on, learning from small business marketing and branding professionals as well as from one another during group conversations. All members left refreshed and equipped with a wealth of new business strategies to take back and implement in their practices, including the CollegePlannerPro team!