Typically, I've seen that vendors don't always offer the best service--even when their clients are paying big money for service contracts. And turning around poor service at most vendors takes time, and is seen as a huge cost with little to no payoff. As a result, that poor service opens up a great market for consultants who can easily fill the gap to an established market who've invested big money for the vendor's product and who need support.

That's essentially what I've been able to capitalize on in my consulting business. I've been in business for over 5 years, focusing on a single vendor who's owned by a large comparny--Thomson Reuters. The service offered has steadily declined even as vendor sales have grown. As a result, my business continues to grow consistently and I have more financial security.

So, while some vendors--even the one I work with--try to squeeze out 3rd party consultants, it's difficult for them to do since the reason for consultants is poor vendor service--something the vendor is unwilling to invest in since they see it as a cost without benefit.

Greg Miliates
StartMyConsultingBusiness dot com