Tag Archives: consultant

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Top Niche Markets for Freelancers

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Every business is in search of promising niche markets that will bring additional dollars to the bottom line.   Some Freelance consultants successfully operate totally within a narrow yet lucrative niche,   but most of us choose to expand our focus to include a particular niche market.   Depending on your specialty,   it could make sense for you to weigh the possibility of entering one of these growing markets.   To position yourself  for successful entry,   it might be necessary to get some training and perhaps a certification.   No doubt you’ll also need to establish a couple of key new relationships to help you get a foot in the door.   But if your research and your gut tell you that there’s reason to believe you have a shot of picking up a client or two,  then by all means get the ball rolling and do what you have to do.

 Environmental sustainability consultants

Opportunities to incorporate environmentally smart and friendly measures into homes and offices continue to grow.   The sustainability / green movement has a tremendous amount of feel-good attached,  as people strive to become better stewards of our environment.   Businesses and individuals are jumping onto the green bandwagon.   Tax incentives to persuade businesses to go green  are in place.   At home,   investments in energy efficiency translate into lower utility bills.   If you have the qualifications to hang out a shingle and address eco-friendly sustainability,   clean-tech or other green business issues,   then green will also mean dollars earned.  MBAs with a sub-specialty in sustainability,  architects,  engineers,  urban planners,   building contractors and electricians are who I see reaping the benefits. 

Home office design consultants

If you were born with an eye for arranging furniture,  understand and can communicate the benefits of ergonomic furniture and are up-to-date on bleeding edge IT products and can help people sort out their business technology needs,  then becoming a home office consultant may be the niche for you.   Knowledge of Feng Shui is another big plus.   Many more people work from home either entirely or occasionally as compared to the 1990s and the ranks of the self-employed and telecommuters continue to grow.   Even the federal government is promoting telecommuting and funding requirements to support the process have been established.   Presumably,   government contracts to hire home office design consultants for federal employees who are able to telecommute are available.

Gardening consultants

Americans are spending more time at home and as a result citizens are investing more money there,   indoors and out.   Those with green thumb or brown are hiring consultants to show them gardening possibilities and present a menu of suitable plants that will help them identify and express their preferred gardening styles.  The consultants will also interface with landscapers to design the customized outdoor space.   Gardening consultants style window boxes for city folk and Christmas greenery in town and country,  too.  There are even vegetable garden consultants.

 Color consultants

A required course for my undergraduate degree in Psychology was called   “Physiological Bases of Behavior”  and in that course we examined the psychological perception of color.   Hospitals have for decades used certain colors in surgical suites and recovery rooms to promote a calming vibe for patients and surgeons.  Scientific research over the decades since I graduated from college has further defined the power of color to influence buying habits and stimulate appetite,  which has made big-budget retail establishments and restaurant chains important clients for the color specialists.

I’ll have more niche markets for you to ponder next week.  Thanks for reading,

Kim

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The Road to Freelance

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Many established professionals consider leaving the world of traditional employment and launching a Freelance consulting career.  The growing lack of job security,  as evidenced by the unemployment rate,  along with the increasing occurrence of toxic work environments endured by those who are working,  have caused many people to give serious thought to self-employment.

I’ve found much personal and professional satisfaction in Freelance nation but there are challenges.  Preparation is key and if you’re still on the job,  begin now to build the infrastructure that will support your transition.   Take the steps while on the corporate dime to sock away some cash and learn how to approach your business clients and contacts as an independent professional.  Learn how to package and sell your services and determine and negotiate fees for the scope of work you will perform.  Visit professional associations and meet Freelancers who do what you aspire to do and ask some questions,  especially on how to build visibility and credibility as an independent consultant in your industry.

Build your savings account

Aim to have savings that will allow you to cover your living expenses for 12 months.  You don’t know how long it will take to sign your first client,  or the one after that.  Freelancers,  especially in the beginning,  will need cash to float themselves,  especially if one is the sole or primary breadwinner.  Furthermore,  scheduled  projects have a nasty habit of being delayed or even canceled.

Start saving money now by eliminating those $5.00 coffee drinks.  Brown bag your lunch whenever possible and cut back on nights out eating and drinking by 75%.  Do not buy any clothing you don’t absolutely need and cancel any vacation plans.  Remember that in addition to paying for living expenses,  you may need to buy or upgrade technology hardware and/or software and will also need to pay for marketing materials  (business cards, website, etc.)  so that you can effectively operate and promote your business.

Business plan and business model

You must figure out how you will get clients,  select the services you will offer and how to determine your fees.  You must choose the marketing materials you will use and decide what they will look like.  You must define the best target client groups and know how to approach them and convince them to hire you for Freelance work—even if you’ve worked with them as an employee of you current organization.  Do you need to be accepted onto an approved vendor list in order to be considered for hire?  Discreetly ask questions of those you can trust to not rat you out to your boss.   Also get an understanding of the typical length of the sales cycle.

Additionally,  it is necessary that you assess the competitive landscape.  The presence of competition is good,  as it demonstrates the need for services you provide and shows that Freelancers are hired to fulfill those needs.  However,  you don’t want to be in an over-crowded marketplace,  unless you are a very heavy-hitter.

Finally,  summon the discipline to write a business plan.  A mission statement,  comprehensive marketing plan and basic cash flow and profit and loss statements will provide a useful road map to get you started and encourage you to examine what will be required to make your Freelance venture successful.  I wish you the best of luck.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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From Employee to Freelancer

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Perhaps the handwriting is on the wall?  Is your intuition talking to you?  Anyway,  rumor has it that a few jobs will be eliminated and you suspect that your head may eventually be on the chopping block.  In addition to sprucing up your resume and LinkedIn page,  you wonder if perhaps you might go out on your own?  If you must face insecurity,  why not have it on your own terms?  You may be right.  Millions of Americans have done exactly that,  including your humble diarist.

If you’re still collecting a check consider yourself fortunate,  as tense as things may be at the office.  Having a job gives you two enormous luxuries: time and money.  I was not so lucky.  I tried for many months to get a job after losing my long-held corporate gig.  I knew nothing about how to Freelance,  although I had long harbored the desire to strike out on my own.  Unfortunately,  I had to learn the hard way.  It was an expensive lesson that continues to reverberate.  On the other hand,  I am in business and somehow manage to support myself.

Self-employment is difficult in any economy.  It’s necessary to work hard and work smart,  plus be resourceful,  resilient and rather lucky.  I know a few people who are making good money,  but I’ve read that a 30%  decrease in income is typical.  Freelancers must campaign and compete for assignments and there will be gaps. 

Clients are known to pay when they feel like it and collecting in 15 – 30 days is not always possible.  Furthermore,  there are many expenses that we must shoulder:  professional training seminars,  technology and office supplies,  retirement plan,  health insurance,  life insurance  (yes, we do need it,  even if unmarried and childless).  On top of that,  we have no paid sick days,  vacation time or holidays.

But if you’re trying to explore all income generating options because unemployment checks do not last forever and you wonder if your next employer might be you,  here are a few Freelancer start-up guidelines for you to follow:

Expand your network

It’s almost impossible to secure work assignments when you’re not well-known to potential clients and there are few who can give testimonials that will vouch for your expertise.  Growing your network is the most important step you can take in preparing to become a Freelance consultant.  Ideally,  you will consult in a field and specialty where you have deep expertise and credibility. 

Immediately begin to cultivate and solidify client relationships with those who can green-light projects you would want.  Identify professional associations that cater to consultants in your industry and also seminars that clients attend and get on mailing lists,  so you’ll know where to network.  Read industry blogs and other publications,  so you will be up-to-date with important issues.

Check your credentials

Be sure that whatever competencies and qualifications,  degrees,  certificates,  licenses and/or  insurance necessary to do business are in hand.  Whatever you don’t have and can get on your employer’s dime,  take steps to do so ASAP.   Otherwise,  consider professional development expenses as a 2012 tax write-off.  If nothing else,  the improved credentials might help you get your next job if you decide to hold off going out on your own.

More next week,

Kim

Marketing , 2 Comments

The Remix: How to Win the Consulting Game

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The greatest truth about Freelance consulting is that it is a marketing business.  If we expect to be successful,  then we must  artfully package ourselves and our services and promote to those with the money and motive to award us high-paying projects.  The ability to view yourself as your ultimate product,  creating and executing self-marketing strategies,  requires a good amount of self-esteem and a dollop of fearlessness.  Not everyone has what it takes.  To be successful in this business,  it is necessary to model yourself as a consulting company of one and learn to swim like the big fish do.

Let’s first get our self-esteem on track.  Learn to fully own and value your skill set and communicate your self-worth to one and all  (in a healthy way).  You’ve acquired an impressive array of competencies over the years.  That knowledge base is your calling card,  your brand,  your intellectual property.  Never position yourself as subordinate to the client.   The Freelance consultant is a peer.  We have a particular expertise that the client does not possess.   That is why we’re needed.

Second,  let your business practices reflect your self-worth and stop billing hourly for your work.  Alan Weiss,  author of  “The Consulting Bible” (2011),  recommends that Freelance consultants bill on a project basis only and avoid billing hourly.  In fact,  Weiss advises that you not work with a prospective client who insists upon an hourly rate,  because the amount of time it takes to produce the deliverable is not the issue.  The impact of that deliverable on the organization is the issue and the two must not be confused.

So when you’re in your next prospective client meeting and you’re talking turkey,  reach a mutual understanding with the client regarding the project’s objectives and clarify how your success will be measured.  Ask your prospect to explain the impact that meeting those objectives will have on the organization.  Let the answer determine your project fee.

Weiss also says that if your intellectual property,  i.e. your work,  will help an organization save a significant amount of money or measurably improve its marketing position and/or sales,  then the Freelance consultant should receive 10%  of the value of the gain.  In other words,  billing on value = billing on outcomes + impact,  hours be damned.  If your client is too obsessed with hourly rates,  nickling and diming on costs,  then find another client.

Third,  let’s take a look at marketing and promotional strategies.  Revisit my May 10 post and get inspired to write a book,  whether you create your own book deal and self-publish,  or manage to finagle a traditional publishing agreement  (Weiss did the latter).  Weiss insists that a book deal does wonders for your credibility and gives your consulting career a major boost.

He also claims that it doesn’t matter how many copies you sell,  just get your book into print.  I’m afraid that I must respectfully disagree on that last point,  however.  Being on The New York Times best-seller list has got to make a huge difference in more ways than one!

Additionally,  Weiss points out that speaking at a trade association meeting is yet another consulting career-booster,  as are teaching,  blogging and writing a newsletter (as I’ve mentioned countless times).  All of those strategies give a competitive advantage,  leading clients to view the published Freelancer as a thought leader and a cut above.  Clients will consider you an expert and they’ll be more likely to seek you out to discuss upcoming projects.  The axiom  “publish or perish”  is no longer limited to academia.

Finally,  do not be shy about approaching friends,  family and former co-workers to discuss new business opportunities.  Spell out to folks what it is you do,  the clients you usually work with and the projects you like to take on.  Always keep in touch with your network and remember to help them out,  too,  because it’s good karma.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Starting A Business? Consider This

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Like millions of people around the world, over the past few months you’ve given some thought to ensuring your economic survival.  How to make money is at the top of the list for many and we’re all exploring our options.  A yard sale or two can help in the short run, but most of us need a steady and healthy income stream.

Polishing up your resume might no longer be a viable option, given that employment statistics have been dismal for several consecutive quarters and the global economy continues to shed jobs.  What little employment exists tends to be at at the bottom of the pay scale.

This cruel reality has lead some of us to decide  what the heck, I’ll go out on my own.  I’ll start a business or become a Freelancer and do some consulting.  That’s why I went out on my own.  Employers did not give a damn about transferable skills, work ethic, strategic thinking or anything else.

All they knew was that I was  too expensive to hire (or keep) and so they didn’t.  To have a roof over my head and food on the table I had no choice but to become a Freelancer. Thank God  I had a few desirable  skills that I eventually learned how to package and market!

This blog is all about sharing knowledge and experience as a way to help readers become more successful Freelancers, business owners and even employees.  My objective is to help you avoid time-wasting mistakes and obstacles and get you into your definition of success,  faster.

First of all,  becoming an entrepreneur requires  objective thinking and creativity.  You’ll need to take a cold hard look at your skill set and figure out what you can possibly do.  Next, you need to analyze the marketplace.  Who will pay for the product or service that you’re able to offer? Does it appear that you can eventually persuade enough clients to pay you enough money to live on?
Also, what relationships can you rely on to help ease your way into the business—refer clients, provide expert advice, hook you up with good deals on equipment or a space to set up shop?

Oh, and BTW, can you afford the start-up costs? Every business requires up front money to get rolling, so the financial requirements of the business you choose need significant consideration.  Banks are making very few loans these days and those who do get funded have near perfect credit.

On the upside, going out on your own during a difficult economic cycle can be a smart  move.  The economy will force you to distinguish between the magical thinking of an intriguing idea and a real business opportunity. You’ll be in the planning and learning stages while the economy lags.  When the inevitable upswing comes around, you’ll be prepared to take advantage and make some money.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll help you take a look at a few basic things you’ll need to consider before you take the leap.

Much more later,
Kim

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On Surviving the Economic Crisis Part II

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Last week, I attended a roundtable discussion for business owners that was hosted by the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce.  The purpose of BIG: Best Insights Grow (Your Business) was to provide a forum wherein a dozen small business owners and consultants  could share some of our more vexing business challenges and receive some practical advice from the group about how best to resolve those issues.

I offer you a few strategies and action items that surfaced in our forum. You may want to integrate some of this into your practice, so you can grease the cash flow wheels as we enter the traditionally slow summer months.  Most of these things you already know–none of it is rocket science.  Nevertheless, selectively employing a few of these methods is bound to have a positive effect on your billable hours, in the short and long term.

  • Stealth Prospecting

Obviously, we must always keep eyes and ears open for new clients and new ways to engage our current clients.  One way to do that is to network: get out there and attend events, talk to people and let them tell you which products and services they like, why they like them and how they like them offered.  Also, remember to make sure friends and colleagues know what you do and who they can refer to you, so they can be your surrogate sales force.

Another way to set the stage for networking and prospecting is to put yourself on the panel guest and speaker’s circuit.  Meaning, position yourself as an expert.  Pay attention to the program schedules of a few business and professional organizations.  What kind of topics do they offer? What kind of audience do they attract? Can you offer up some of your expertise and give a presentation or join a panel discussion? Are you a member of any such organization?

Build relationships with the event coordinators for these groups and find out the protocol and requirements for their speaker’s bureau.  Have a clear understanding of topics that are deemed appropriate, so you can offer the right talk titles.  Local colleges may also accept proposals for workshops.  Check out noncredit continuing education offerings in a few schools and see who might give you an opportunity to teach. You might even receive a (modest) honorarium!

When you are showcased as an expert in your field, you will be approached by peers and prospects who seek your advice, want to do business with you or want to refer you to someone who does want to work with you.  Now that takes the cold calling out of prospecting, am I right?

  • Strategic Referrals

What better way to get yourself into the good graces of someone who you suspect could be a good referral source for your gorgeous self than to get the process started by referring a client to your object of desire? The chances of receiving some reciprocal billable hours are going to be good, I’ll say.  I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship…

  • Smart Pricing

Pricing is a tricky thing. It is both a science and an art. When it comes to services, honestly, who knows what anything is worth? The service is worth what the client thinks it’s worth.  Even in flush times, you’ve gotta know when to hold and know when to fold. You must become a very good negotiator.  No one wants to gouge and no one wants to be undervalued.  These days times are tough, clients know it and everybody wants a “deal”.

Freelancer, you need a good pricing strategy if you want to keep a roof over your head and food on the table!  You need a useful bag of tricks that will keep the billable hours coming in at rates that will keep you solvent.  Here are a few strategies that can help:

When you know or suspect that a client is going to knock down your price, try adding 10-20% to your proposed fee.  Some people love to bargain, love to think they got something at a lower price.  So give that client the satisfaction of “saving” a few dollars. When they press you for a price cut, slowly and reluctantly cave in– then smile like Mona Lisa as you collect your usual fee (or close to it).

Another win-win pricing strategy is to hold your price but add in a few extras or upgrades. Maybe you can even do some small something pro bono.  Many clients will be happy to receive more for their money.  They want to stoke that value proposition.

But alas, sometimes the clients have us over a barrel and we are forced to take a job at a lower fee because we either flat out need the cash or we crave a certain plum assignment. How to take the sting out of this one?

Start by trying to get more hours out of the project. Your hourly fee won’t be great, but the check at the end will be less paltry. You can also ask for future assignments, thus getting them on the hook for more work that you can count on.  Better still, giving a referral discount to this client may be the way to go: each successful referral the client makes means their next job will be priced at a 10- 20% discount.  Pricing is most definitely about negotiation.

This is also the time to offer your clients some flexible payment options.  Consider offering a discount on invoices that are paid in full within 15 days.  Invoicing like a general contractor might also be helpful: ask for a third of the project fee up front, the next third at the project midpoint and the final third within 30 days of the project’s completion. Setting yourself up to accept credit card payments may also prove to be useful.  The downside is the processing fee, but you will make it easier for cash strapped businesses to pay you on time.  As we all know, getting paid is the name of the game.

Good luck this summer and let me know how you make out!