Levoexpert 's Blog

4-Tips to Improve your Efficiency as a Consultant

 

As a consultant, your client regularly require, you are on top of your game; this means you have to be professional, efficient and deliver projects on timely manner. Indeed you will be held to a high standard. Being a consultant on freelancing marketplaces does not mean your job is easier or your client will compromise on the level of service and quality that is expected of you.

 

To be successful as consultant on marketplaces, you will have to balance, the use of your time and while keeping tab on cost by creating a lean operating environment – where costs stay low and your time is used wisely.

 

Here are 4-tips to help you improve your efficiency and get the best out of your freelancing career as an independent consultant:

 

Choose the right marketplace:

 

Technology is enabling consultants to monetize their expertise and skills to clients beyond their geographical locations, without having to leave the comfort of their homes. Choosing the right marketplace to reach to the right clients is probably the most important decision you will make in becoming a freelancer. Levoexpert , a Shanghai based platform is a marketplace for consultants with expertise in Management consulting, business operations and IT services, it connects experts with employers who seek expert advice .The platform doesn’t charge experts for using the platform or for registration. One of the advantages of using Levoexpert’s marketplace may include:

 

Access to large base of clients

No or low service fee

Payment assurance

No cost of advertising your services

Work base on your time.

No cost of registrations

 

Use shared offices  Solutions

The age of independent consultants or freelancers working from the comfort of their homes is long gone. Freelancing has become more sophisticated and competitive.  To be more effective and safe from distraction, it’s advisable to look for office or workspace solutions that is on budget.

 

Many workspace providers, provide entrepreneur packages that are affordable and come with huge benefits. Offers may varies; pay per day which allows you to only pay for the time you use the office, this could go as low as $10 per day. Or you could opt for a flexible hot desk in an open shared space; this allows you to sit anywhere in the allocated space without having a permanent seat. The price range is somewhere around $120 per month. Wework and N+Space are highly recommended. Some of the benefits of using the workspace solutions included in price package are free;

  

Front desk services

Fast Internet

Meeting rooms

Printing & office supplies

Coffee & entertainment

Projectors & multi-medias

Courier services

Work station

24/7 Access to the office

Social events for networking

 

Networking & Social media:

 

Freelancing is a rewarding career and much as a lifestyle. For you to continue in the freelancing business as a consultant, you need to constantly find and connect with potentials clients. In addition to finding clients or projects on marketplaces, social networking should be a big part of your long term strategy of getting new clients.  Social networking clubs provide opportunities to meet and mix with potential clients directly. However, this doesn’t come cheap, an average cost of attending a social event in Shanghai ranges between 150RMB-250RMB. I personally like NEC – Networking Event Club and I have met with the gentleman, the CEO of NEC, Kay Gabriel. I recommend NEC for three reasons;

 

The quality of the people who attend:

The location of their events is really convenient and;

Reasonable ticket fee that includes; free flow of drinks and snacks

 

Productive Tools;

 

As a freelancing, time and skills are your best commodities. It’s imperative for you to manage your time efficiently. Why? Today’s clients are press for time. Consultants can who deliver a quality deliverable get repeated business. , In this line of work, clients can be unforgiving-you never get a second chance. You need professional, high-performance business tools to work with and compete against big businesses

 

I have tried several productive tools. I found ASANA and PRODUCTEEV to be the best. Track and manage the use of your time and see how productive your consulting career is doing.

 

In conclusion;

Working as an independent consultant is a rewarding and exciting. Technology is constantly making it easier for experts like you to monetize your skills and expertise. In deed , independent experts are riding on wave of success as once dominated industry by the big 5-consulting firms is finally cracking , giving the way to new marketplaces that are disrupting the industry. It has never been  a better time than now to become a freelancer or an independent expert.

 

To start your consulting career as independent consultant, register with Levoexpert on or if you have any questions, you can write directly to: info@levoexpert.com