Developing timelines
At first, you may find developing accurate timelines a difficult challenge. After all, who hasn’t started a
consulting project with clear expectations of how long it will take, only to encounter hidden factors that
push the project behind schedule?
Even if your timeline starts out as a rough estimate, it’s still a useful tool for time management planning
and keeping your client informed. It also demonstrates that you are organized and willing to commit in
writing to achieving specific project milestones.
First, talk to the client about major project milestones you both expect to accomplish during the course
of the project. Use those as the building blocks of your project timeline. Then, consider the sequential
steps that must take place to get from milestone A to milestone B, C, D and beyond.