My best advice for IECs adding others to their practice is to refer to them as “colleagues,” not “associates” or “staff,” because you never want clients (or potential clients) to feel they are not getting top-notch service because you are not personally working with their student. I have found this to be crucial in helping me market all five of my staff as a team and as individuals to prospective clients.

—Evelyn Alexander (CA)

Don’t rush into it! Finding a compatible and complimentary addition to an independent educational consulting practice is like finding the right marriage partner or like making the “right fit” for one of your college-bound clients. If someone is suitable for your practice, then waiting until they have been “tried and tested” will not negatively impact your practice, but enhance it.

—Kathie Carnahan (LA)

There are a few questions to consider when hiring another IEC. Does the person share your philosophy about your practice area? If you work with special populations, do they have that expertise or are they willing and able to learn? Do they share your emphasis on fit and being positioned to succeed? Do you have similar approaches? If your approach is kind and supportive and the prospective employee is hard charging, there might be problems with client relations. In short, it is better to turn away business then to bring on an employee who is a mismatch to your organization’s core values. It is also better to train a less-experienced person who has these skills and thus great potential.

—Joan K. Casey (MA)