I am writing a Freelancers Handbook to help our new consultants become effective, faster. It is an interesting and important project. Currently, I am focused on the Chapter about planning. Most of our consultants are experienced freelancers with more than ten years of experience, and vast experience with business planning. They probably won’t benefit much from this chapter. On the other hand, many of our consultants will find this subject interesting. Those folks are accomplished senior executives; however, they are new to self-employment as an independent consultant. My audience is that new consultant. They have a voracious appetite for tools and techniques to help them translate their corporate experience to this new endeavor. My challenge is to provide a no-bullshit tool which they will use.
Early in my career, I worked in the Retail Group of a $1 Billion conglomerate. I helped the Division Presidents and their staffs with the annual strategic planning process, among other things. I became very impressed by one of our divisions which put their plan on a single 8 1/2 x 11-inch piece of paper, using the same format as an organization chart. The box at the center top of the page was the brand’s mission statement. The next level presented their primary objectives. Their strategies to meet those objectives were on the next level with lines connecting strategies to the objectives they supported. Finally, key action steps were listed below each strategy.
I thought that was brilliant. It was a valuable tool allowing management to see the entire Division Plan on a single sheet of paper. Since that first variation many years ago, the process of putting a business plan on a single page has become commonplace. A simple Google Search for “Plan on a Page,” (POP) will yield a substantial list of web-based tools to automate the process. Now, 30 years later, I am working to develop a POP format to help my new business consultants jump-start their business development.
I recommend that the first item our consultants tackle is their “why.” In other words, why have they chosen this line of work? What is their personal motivation to become a freelance consultant? What is their passion? What drives them to do this kind of work? It is difficult to have a successful business proposition if you can’t articulate your reason to be in business. This is the first item at the top of my POP.
The second step in my POP is to make the consultant position their business. This is similar to a Mission statement captured in the traditional business planning model. The three questions the consultant must answer are: what is the target customer group/industry segment? What is the problem to be solved? And, what is the methodology, or technology employed to solve the problem? Again, this process is fundamental to any strategic plan. It is the consultant’s roadmap, providing direction to focus their business development. With a positioning statement, one can develop a communications plan, beginning with an effective elevator pitch.
That next step asks for the consultant’s “entry proposition.” Consider this to be the primary tactic the consultant will employ to secure a prospective client. In many cases, our consultants conduct a short-term strategic assessment, risk assessment, or another type of an evaluation to determine exposure to unforeseen issues. An entry proposition is a viable way to build a relationship on a smaller, less costly project. Ideally, this project will foster trust and confidence, leading to larger, future assignments and a long-term relationship.
The balance of the plan is about marketing outreach. I created a table with the following column headers: Outreach Type; When; How; and Frequency. The Outreach Type or networking activities include the consultant’s personal network, their electronic network, and their target market. I also included Target Market, Social Media, and organizational memberships. The next three columns require the consultant to indicate when, how, and how often he will contact each.
The obvious benefits of having a POP is to focus the consultant’s attention on activities to land an engagement. This focus will improve their organization, time management, and effectiveness. Another major benefit of a POP is to serve as a daily reminder of the consultant’s priorities. I highly recommend that small-business owners and independent contractors make the effort to put their business plan on a single page.
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Jim Weber, Managing Partner
Author of: Fighting Alligators: Job Search Strategy For The New Normal
Current Assignments
1. COO- Atlanta-based Casual Dining Restaurant Company – New
2. Controller – Atlanta-based Consumer Products – Digital Company – Completed
3. Director of Biz Dev, Atlanta-based B2B Professional Services Company: Completed
4. Payroll-Benefits Manager, Atlanta-based Retail Company: Complete
5. Senior Accounting Manager – Atlanta-based Manufacturer. Complete
6. Controller – Atlanta-based Restaurant Company: New
7. Outplacement Assignment – Atlanta-based Manufacturer: Complete