How To Begin Preparing Your Consulting Business For Action As We Move Out Of Lockdown
This was originally posted on my Seven Figure Consultant LinkedIn Newsletter. Subscribe today to get insights about how women are building powerful and impactful consulting businesses.
As a consultant, you’re in a great position right now.
I know – that may seem counterintuitive with all the reports of an economic downturn, businesses closing, and jobs disappearing, but it’s what my LinkedIn followers, and podcast listeners are telling me.
Last week I launched a new independent consultant survey about what the Covid crisis has been like for you in your business, what issues have you faced. And one of the things that has really struck me so far even in the initial responses we’ve had back is the number of consultants who have said they feel positive about the future.
I found this really encouraging.
There are some discouraging stats being reported and unhelpful headlines about the worst recession we’ve ever seen and all that kind of thing, but even against that background, lots of us are ready to get back to work and either continue the work we’re doing or adapt and rebuild for the future.
And actually, as consultants, we don’t need to be afraid of responding to change.
We have an entrepreneurial spirit.
We are resourceful, adaptable.
We don’t scare that easily because we’re already out there making ‘something out of nothing’ – we’re not making money for someone else, we’re doing it all under our own brand. No fear.
Or maybe we’re just so used to the fear that we haven’t found it too overwhelming these last few months!
There are thousands of employed people who are newly out of work, and that is never something I would want to minimise. It really sucks and it’s unfair, and it’s undeserved.
But as a self-employed person there is something amazingly empowering about not feeling like your only option is to register for state benefits and hope that you somehow land another job at this time.
Being able to actually evaluate your current business and maybe shift the emphasis to a new area (notice how I didn’t say PIVOT there), or just make some simple tweaks and carry on going.
This is a huge strength of being a consultant right now. And you already have the biggest thing you need which is COURAGE, because you set out on this road in the first place.
As globally we move to the next phase, a tentative loosening of lockdown, we need to be ready to adapt our businesses again.
That’s why in this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Consultant Podcast, I’m looking at the transition into the next phase of working, especially if you’re accustomed to working in close proximity to your client, working in their office, travelling to meet them in person, or delivering events in person. This is a huge thing for a lot of consultants, especially in the HR space, but also health and wellbeing and some of those connected services.
In this episode I explore:
- Why business consultants are especially well equipped to handle this new never-experienced-before phase of working life.
- The surprising early feedback I’ve received to my survey of independent consultants.
- Four essential questions you ask yourself to prepare for a successful transition to this new phase of socially distant / remote working.
Bring a notepad and pen – you’ll want to write these questions down so you can journal on them later, and unlock a whole raft of possibilities and opportunities.
🎧 Listen to the full episode here – 029 Preparing Your Consulting Business For The Next Phase
And tell me, are you planning any changes to your consulting business, the services you offer and/or the way you deliver them?
Free Report – The Six Elements of a Seven Figure Consulting Business
I’ve created a free PDF report called The Six Elements of a Seven Figure Business. It’s my most popular free resource and in it I outline the 6 areas of unscaled businesses that need to change in order to move past being ‘booked up and burned out’ and shifting into that higher gear that gets you cruising again.
It’s the framework that helps consultant women like you find their feet and get back to leading the business, rather than being buried in client work and back-end business operations.
Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your feedback and future topics you’d like me to feature.