This week, I celebrate the 10-year anniversary of starting Loflin Consulting Solutions and becoming The City Doctor (AKA: placemaking consultant). I’ve learn a lot along the way and so thought I would share some insights as I know many, if not all, of us have played with the idea joining the Mysterious World of Consulting.
First of all, it is a job. Yes, I don’t miss the commute and never have. Yes, I enjoy being in charge of the work I take on or simply saying “no.” Yes, my dry cleaning bill has shrunk significantly. Yes, I don’t miss office politics and drama.
All true.
But also true is that it can be very isolating. I crave human interaction and sometimes I have to remind myself to get out of my pajamas. Actually, usually it’s Grace that reminds me of that when she comes home from school and says, “Didn’t I leave this morning for school with you sitting at your computer in your pajamas?” Yes, I have gotten showered and dressed for a Skype interview, looking decent from the waist up, with slippers on my feet.
Consulting also can be scary. It’s called soft money for a reason. It’s not guaranteed. There are no employee-provided benefits. No built-in retirement package. It’s not a paycheck you count on every other Friday. If you don’t work, you don’t get paid. That simple. And because of that, sometimes I feel like I’m never off the clock. When I had a job-job, I more or less turned off work each day at 6pm and for the weekend. Not anymore. I’ve taken client calls at 10am on a Sunday. Or at 2am because of the time difference. This is more than my job, it’s my life. I am my own brand. And I’m grateful. But being a consultant isn’t sleeping in and hanging out on social media all day with “your little hobby.” Let’s get that straight.
So you want to be a consultant? Well, here’s some unsolicited advice:
Don’t even think of leaving your job-job until you have at least three contracts signed and delivered. Yes, this could mean you do some moonlighting. But you have to know, for your family’s sake, that you have some traction before you jump ship. The golden handcuffs of a dependable 9to5 is nothing to shake a stick at, so be careful and thoughtful. Just like with your place, don’t make a rash decision to leave because you’ve had a bad day in the office.
Establish your reputation in the field before going out on your own. Being a consultant implies some level of expertise in a field or fields. Get that expertise first and use your 9to5 to establish your credibility and authority in that field, even if your consultancy morphs into a different expertise area based on market demands. Mine did. And the field expertise I had established carried me through to the next phase of my consultancy. But get a track record first and develop a face in the field. Offer to do presentations through your current job at conferences or do press interviews for the company. Serve in leadership positions for prominent associations in the field. It’s easy to call yourself an expert. It takes more effort to actually be one. Use your work history to make you one over time.
And by the way, speaking of jobs, getting fired or laid off is not always the best time to become a consultant. If it’s your dream, fine, try to gin it up. But give yourself a set time to get it going with a certain goal in mind. For example, in 60 days I will have two paying contracts or enough speaking gigs to come close to replacing my monthly salary. If that doesn’t materialize in that timeframe, hit the classifieds and find another job-job. Welcome to Adulting. Your family will thank you.
Skip the cool, fun stuff for a while. Many people start being a consultant because they think they’ll make the big money right away, fly first class on their clients’ dime, and can bask in the fun of adoring clients that will beat a path to your door. So they run right out and get expensive headshots and fancy business cards and invest in promo videos and the flash. Nope and nope. You may get there and I am grateful to have in many aspects, but I certainly didn’t start there. I didn’t have a headshot for the first two years. I used old corporate ones. I created my own website. And I used Groupon for business cards to just get me through at first. Mostly, I spent my time working my butt off for my starter clients that gave me the courage and opportunity to jump ship in the first place. And lucky for me, my first largest client was my former employer. So sometimes that can be an option….But before the flash comes the work. That you have lined up, remember, before you ever left your dependable job.
Do everything for yourself as much as possible. This whole time I have been my own marketer, booker, agent, handler, tax accountant, social media guru, travel agent, secretary, and shrink. Yeah, sometimes I wasn’t great at something. But I learned and did the best I could. And soon I was doing ok at all of it, some things better than others. Now it’s hard for me to relinquish control over it so I still hold on to a lot of it myself. But I didn’t spend the money, I learned the skills, and now I know a good bit about all aspects of running a business. And when the time is right, I will know what a “good one” will look like to outsource to and I can truly partner with them on what I know I need. (Instead of them telling me what I need and me not knowing the difference.) Sure, it can be cool to say, “talk to my agent”, or “my publicist says” or “book it with my scheduler,” but remember, you aren’t in this for the cool, right? Right.
Acquire testimonials from clients as you go. My business is 100% referrals. I don’t advertise, beyond a Facebook ad here and there (and even that just started a few months ago!). I don’t do trade shows or set up booths at conferences. I grew my business from word of mouth—from clients that hired me and audiences that heard me speak. When people are happy with your product, ask them to say so. Post their testimonials on your website. That’s where mine are. And I love the diversity of the clients represented there. I’ve heard from many clients that is was the testimonials on my site or personal recommendations from colleagues that made them feel compelled to have me at their event or on their project. Money can’t buy that and it’s free—a reward for hard work from a happy client.
Know your worth. You may not always get it and you certainly won’t get it at first. But present a fair price, given your expertise, experience, and ability to do the job. Be conservative at first. It’s better to have a lower price in the beginning so you book more gigs and word spreads as you do a good job, than to be overpriced from go so people think you’re that good. They won’t. So again, work your way up. By the same token, don’t give a lot away or barter exchanges unless it really makes sense for you. Be selective and strategic and don’t seem desperate or people will unfortunately take advantage. I limit myself to one work-related volunteer effort a year. I offer a small number of discounts a year for certain client situations. But out of respect for my clients who pay my asking price no questions asked, I don’t do that a lot. Did that mean I had to turn down some work? You bet. But it was really key to me progressing along the path of knowing my own worth as a consultant.
And, as a consultant, you will have good money years and worse money years. Count on it. Again, welcome to soft money. So when you have a good year, do you buy a new car, six new electronic devices, and cool gadgets from CEOS R Us? Nope. My car is older than my business. I’ve run my little empire off two computers (and one was a gift) and three iphones (through free upgrades and birthday gifts). I’ve never owned an ipad. I don’t have the latest gizmos. Instead, I squirrel “good year” money away in anticipation of a lean year that is undoubtedly coming. Anyway, I’m not selling flash, I’m delivering a service to build my brand.
And finally, reevaluate every year. I ask myself every year if this thing has run its course. Even if I have money saved. Even if I have things lined up. I crunch the numbers and make sure I’m solvent for another year before I proceed. I guess because I planned on my consultancy only lasting a year, I got in the habit early on of having this annual heart-to-heart with myself. But it’s a good practice.
So as I begin year eleven, I do so on purpose with conviction and passion to lend all of my talents and experience to my clients. Which in the end is what a good consultant does, even if I’m in my pajamas at the other end of the phone. I promise to change before I’m at the lectern.
How VERY ENLIGHTENING! Learned a lot about your journey! Congratulations on ur 10 years! You have done well!