The day after I let our clients and consultants know I was setting up a freelance marketing and business development consultancy, I got a call from a project manager colleague who wanted a chat.
He pointed out that after spent fifteen years as a lone construction consultant he remained frustrated at the way his breadth of experience was passed over in favour of other, larger but less experienced firms. What might be done about this?
We’ve arranged to meet up and talk about the issue, and how we might help sole practitioners get together.
And then a few days ago, entirely unconnected, Nicholas Handslip who described a similar frustration contacted me on Twitter. He had an idea I thought might be useful to share with you. Perhaps we can work on this issue together?
“As small surveying and architecture firms and freelance consultants we tend to struggle juggling workload with administration, business development and maintaining networks. This is before we have even considered business strategy, how to develop brand and expand the company!
A number of twitter users have contacted @Subutcher expressing a desire or interest in setting up or become involved with group of consultants offering to mentor small SME’s or to benefit from knowledge sharing in some form or another.
I am interested in establishing a virtual network for freelance consultants and surveyor /architect SME’s looking to develop their twitter following into more tangible relationships, sharing ideas, discussing issues, accruing CPD and potentially developing business opportunities.
I am particularly keen to hear how you use social media; what internet forums you find useful; how you feel a forum could best serve you and also whether you would be interested in mentoring small consultancies.
If you would like to get involved or have any ideas on setting up a forum then please contact me on @NFranklinPM or just use hash tag #constconsult and comment.”
So, are you a lone construction consultant (or maybe, a micro business of two or so people)? What is your experience of the downsides of being so small? What do you need that we might, if we collect together and use the internet, be able to help provide?
I’d be interested to hear your thoughts. Please comment below, or tweet using the #constconsult hashtag. We’re collecting an archive of tweets.
[UPDATE: Typo’s corrected, apologies!]
Latest tweets:
Good idea and congratulations Su on your recent launch! I wish you so many good things 🙂
Meanwhile yes – I am a micro-biz that is always looking to connect, to collaborate and to share. I think networks that connect people who truly want to work in a team of collaborators is what I would be interested in, people I can get to know adn trust, so I can share out my work and also get more work. I often find that a collective of like-minds is not a barrier to bigger projects, as long as everyone helps, understand each other’s specialism. I like the “more tangible relationship network” with people getting together and explaining what the do and how-micro presentatins for example? – I would be happy to help in any way I can.
hi Francoise,
Thanks for taking an interest in this idea, it will be interesting to learn from each other what will help us all benefit.
A marketing and business development consultancy practice is an excellent idea. I believe there is a great need for outside ideas and opinions.