Aspiring Consultants

Many people are drawn to small business and SME consulting because they want to help business owners grow stronger, healthier companies. The challenge is knowing where to begin.

Aspiring consultants often feel stuck between ambition and uncertainty. You may understand business concepts, but translating that knowledge into clear guidance and productive consulting conversations can feel overwhelming.

The International Association of Accredited Small Business Consultants exists to bridge that gap by providing training, structure, and certification designed specifically for small business and SME consulting.

The Reality of Starting A Consulting Career

Becoming a consultant is not just about knowing business theory. It is about being able to guide business owners through decisions, priorities, and trade-offs with clarity and confidence.

Aspiring consultants often struggle with:

Knowing what to analyze and where to start
Turning general business knowledge into focused consulting conversations
Feeling unqualified to advise experienced business owners
Lacking a clear consulting structure or framework
Uncertainty about credibility without prior consulting experience
Fear of missing critical issues inside a business

Without guidance, it is easy to feel underprepared or unsure how to create meaningful value for clients.

A Clear Path into Small Business Consulting

AASBC was created to make small business and SME consulting more accessible, practical, and professional.

The Accredited Small Business Consultant (ASBC) or Accredited SME Consultant (ASMEC) certification provides a clear entry point for individuals who want to build a consulting career focused on helping small businesses operate more effectively, make better decisions, and grow sustainably.

This program is designed to teach you how to think and work like a consultant, not just how to understand business concepts.

Learn a Proven Consulting Methodology

At the center of AASBC certification is the SEMP Approach, which stands for Simplified Examination to Maximize Profit.

The SEMP Approach is a structured consulting framework created specifically for small businesses and SMEs. It provides a clear way to examine a business across key focus areas so conversations stay productive and decisions stay grounded.

The SEMP Approach teaches you how to:

Examine a business systematically
Understand how operations, finances, and strategy connect
Identify inefficiencies, constraints, and profit limitations
Organize discussions around what matters most
Ask focused, meaningful questions
Develop practical, actionable recommendations

Instead of guessing or relying on intuition, the SEMP Approach gives you a clear structure to follow with every client.

Confidence Comes from Structure

One of the biggest barriers for aspiring consultants is confidence.

The SEMP Approach removes uncertainty by giving you a repeatable consulting method you can rely on. It allows you to walk into conversations knowing what to evaluate, how to evaluate it, and how to guide business owners toward clearer decisions.

This structure helps you move from learning to real-world application more quickly and with greater confidence.

Certification That Builds Credibility

The ASBC or ASMEC designation signals that you have completed formal training in small business and SME consulting and that you follow a professional, standardized approach.

For aspiring consultants, certification helps:

Establish credibility early
Build confidence in advisory conversations
Demonstrate commitment to professional standards
Differentiate yourself from untrained advisors

Certification does not replace experience, but it provides the structure and credibility needed to begin consulting with confidence.

Tools That Support Your Growth

AASBC membership includes practical resources designed to support your development as a consultant, including:

Step-by-step consulting checklists
Business diagnostics and evaluation tools
Structured frameworks for client discussions
Presentation materials for planning and analysis conversations
Ongoing professional updates and insights

These tools help you focus on developing consulting skills rather than creating materials from scratch.

Who This Is For

This program is well suited for individuals who:

Want to become small business or SME consultants
Are early in their consulting journey
Are transitioning from business education or other professional backgrounds
Want a structured, professional foundation
Value clarity, structure, and disciplined decision-making
Want to learn a proven consulting methodology

No prior consulting experience is required. The program is designed to teach you how to approach consulting the right way from the beginning.

Take the First Step Toward a Consulting Career

Every successful consultant started somewhere.

AASBC provides the structure, training, and certification to help you move forward with confidence, clarity, and professionalism.

Start Your Certification

For Aspiring Consultants

Start Your Consulting Career with Confidence and Structure