How One Strategic Consultant Built a Business Around Community Empowerment

When most people think of strategic consulting, they picture boardrooms and Fortune 500 clients. But some of the most impactful consulting businesses are built closer to the ground, in communities where expert guidance has historically been out of reach. This is the story of how turning a passion for community advocacy into a strategic consulting practice can create both a thriving business and lasting social impact.

From Community Directory to Full-Service Consulting

It started with a simple idea: create a directory of local businesses owned by people of color. What began as a way to make these businesses visible to the broader community quickly revealed a deeper need. Business owners didn't just want to be listed. They wanted guidance on operations, financial management, marketing, and growth strategy.

That shift from directory to consulting firm is a pattern many successful consultants follow. You identify a problem, offer a small solution, and then discover the bigger opportunity underneath. In this case, the bigger opportunity was helping underrepresented entrepreneurs access the kind of strategic advice that larger companies take for granted.

The Case for Community-Focused Consulting

The numbers tell a compelling story. Black and African American women-owned businesses now represent 42% of net new women-owned businesses in the United States, growing at three times the rate you'd expect based on their share of the female population. Yet 80% of Black women entrepreneurs fund their businesses from personal savings because only 17% have been able to secure bank loans.

This funding gap creates a massive market for affordable, practical consulting. Entrepreneurs in underserved communities aren't looking for abstract strategy decks. They need actionable advice on pricing, cash flow, hiring their first employee, and understanding their financial statements. A consultant who can bridge that gap fills a genuine need while building a sustainable business.

Why Financial Literacy Became the Foundation

One of the most powerful lessons from community-focused consulting is this: almost every business problem traces back to the numbers. Owners who struggled with growth were often making decisions based on gut feeling rather than data. Those who couldn't secure loans frequently didn't have their financials organized well enough to present a compelling case.

Making financial literacy the cornerstone of a consulting practice addresses the root cause rather than the symptoms. When business owners understand their revenue, expenses, margins, and cash flow patterns, they can:

• Price services appropriately instead of undercharging out of fear
• Negotiate with lenders using concrete financial data
• Spot problems early before they become emergencies
• Plan growth strategically rather than hoping for the best

This approach also differentiates a consulting practice from generic business coaching. Financial fluency is a concrete, measurable skill that clients can apply immediately.

Building a Sales Academy for Underrepresented Entrepreneurs

A natural extension of strategic consulting is education. Many community-focused consultants discover that one-on-one work, while valuable, doesn't scale. Building an academy or group program multiplies impact without proportionally increasing time investment.

The key to making this work is focusing on practical skills that generate revenue. Sales training is particularly effective because it directly impacts the bottom line. When entrepreneurs learn to sell confidently, they can fund their own growth rather than depending on external financing, which may be difficult to access.

A structured program might include:

• Module 1: Know Your Numbers - Understanding financial statements, profit margins, and break-even analysis
• Module 2: Pricing Strategy - Moving from cost-plus pricing to value-based pricing
• Module 3: Sales Conversations - Building confidence in discussing money and closing deals
• Module 4: Financial Systems - Setting up bookkeeping, invoicing, and expense tracking
• Module 5: Growth Planning - Using financial data to make strategic investment decisions

Lessons for Anyone Starting a Consulting Business

Whether you're focused on community empowerment or serving a completely different market, several principles from this approach apply universally.

Start with Proximity, Not Theory

The best consulting niches come from direct experience with a community's problems. Instead of researching market gaps from a distance, immerse yourself in the community you want to serve. Attend their events, join their forums, and listen to their frustrations. The consulting business will reveal itself.

Let the Business Model Evolve

Starting as a directory, evolving into consulting, and eventually launching an academy shows how successful businesses adapt. Don't lock yourself into a single service model on day one. Pay attention to what clients actually need and be willing to pivot.

Make Decisions Based on Data, Not Emotion

This is advice that community consultants give to their clients, and it applies equally to running a consulting practice. Track your own revenue per client, customer acquisition costs, and profit margins. Use those numbers to decide which services to expand and which to retire.

Build Accountability into Everything

One of the most valuable things a consultant provides is accountability. When clients know someone is going to review their numbers regularly, they're more likely to maintain good financial habits. Build regular check-ins and progress reviews into your service packages.

The Economics of Community-Focused Consulting

You might wonder whether focusing on underserved communities limits earning potential. The reality is more nuanced. While individual engagement fees may be lower than enterprise consulting, community-focused consultants often benefit from:

• High referral rates - Tight-knit communities talk, and good results spread quickly
• Group programs - Academies and workshops serve many clients simultaneously
• Grant funding - Many organizations fund programs that support underrepresented entrepreneurs
• Speaking opportunities - Community impact stories attract conference invitations and media coverage
• Long-term relationships - Clients who grow their businesses often become ongoing retainer clients

The consulting industry overall reached $347 billion globally in recent years, and consultants who specialize in a defined niche consistently outperform generalists. Community focus is a powerful form of niche specialization.

Practical Steps to Launch a Community-Focused Consulting Practice

If this approach resonates with you, here's a concrete path to get started:

Month 1-2: Immerse and Listen Attend local business meetups, join online groups, and have informal conversations with entrepreneurs in your target community. Document the problems you hear repeatedly.

Month 3: Pilot Your Services Offer free or low-cost workshops on your area of expertise. Use these to validate demand and refine your messaging. Collect testimonials from participants.

Month 4-5: Formalize Your Offering Create structured service packages based on what resonated during your pilots. Set up your business entity, bookkeeping system, and client onboarding process.

Month 6+: Scale Through Education Develop a group program or academy that delivers your methodology to multiple clients simultaneously. Use revenue from group programs to subsidize one-on-one consulting for clients who need deeper support.

Numbers Are Power

Perhaps the most important takeaway from community-focused consulting is this simple truth: numbers are power. When entrepreneurs understand their financial position, they make better decisions. When they make better decisions, their businesses grow. When their businesses grow, their communities benefit.

This virtuous cycle is what makes strategic consulting more than just a profession. It's a vehicle for economic change. And for the consultant who builds this kind of practice, the financial rewards and personal fulfillment go hand in hand.

Keep Your Business Finances Clear from Day One

Whether you're launching a consulting practice or managing any growing business, financial clarity is the foundation of good decision-making. Beancount.io offers plain-text accounting that gives you complete transparency and control over your financial data, with no black boxes and no vendor lock-in. Get started for free and see why developers and finance professionals are choosing plain-text accounting to power their businesses.