The ABCs of looking after yourself and your consultancy during the pandemic – a guide for self-employed consultants

Today’s guest post is written by Rebecca Zosel, MPH. She is the Director, Zosel Consulting and Co-founder, Australian Public Health Consultants Network.

Self-employed workers have been hit hard by the pandemic. As organisations scale back and focus on delivering in a work-from-home world, many ‘non-essential’ contracts have been cancelled or indefinitely postponed. While freelancers are used to managing the ebb and flow of work, the drop in demand for consultants is unprecedented and has impacted all of us in one way or another – economically, physically, mentally and socially. Here are some tips to support you and your consultancy to navigate through these uncertain times.

Ask for testimonials and recommendations from previous clients. Publish the testimonials (e.g. business prospectus, website, LinkedIn profile) to help demonstrate your track record and expertise, particularly to prospective clients.  

Believe in yourself. Consultants around the globe are experiencing a downturn in work as a result of the pandemic – it is not a reflection on you.

Cultivate your community. Connect with like-minded consultants to tap into support, reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness, and collaborate (e.g. partnerships, referrals, sub-contracting). A number of networking groups for public health consultants exist around the world (e.g. Australia, USA).

Develop a client avatar. A client avatar describes your ideal client/customer. Documenting everything about your ideal client will help you to identify your target market – and then you can set out to find them.

Explore options for generating revenue and maintaining cash flow: passive income streams, sub-contracting, retainer arrangements, fixed-term contracts, casual work, government support, COVID-19 workforce redeployment opportunities. If it continues to be hard to get client work, is returning to full-time employment an option?

Focus on what you can control. Let go of the things that you cannot control.

Go virtual and leverage technology to expand your digital offerings. Whether it’s meetings, workshops, training, conferences, there’s never a better time to go virtual and plenty of options exist (Zoom, Jitsi, Microsoft Teams, Lifesize, to name a few).

Hone a new skill – but only if you have the time, resources and motivation. Otherwise, don’t buy into the pressure to be productive. Just be. Encouragingly, there are plenty of low-cost ways for business owners to invest in themselves – you can re-train and upskill via books, podcasts, webinars, courses, etc., and many universities offer alumni free courses and career services/employment assistance.

Innovate. Now is a good time for intentional business development and regeneration. Consider opportunities to change or diversify your services – ‘pivot’ is touted to be the business buzzword of the year for good reason.

Join a professional association (e.g. IUHPE) to access member benefits such as sector news, information, resources and professional development (e.g. mentoring programs). Some professional associations offer members discounts for business insurance and other goods and services.

Keep active on socials, even if you aren’t generating a lot of your own content. Keep engaging on your preferred platforms to stay visible and connected with your colleagues. Refresh your profile if required.

Look after yourself. Prioritise your own health and wellbeing – get adequate sleep, eat a healthy and balanced diet and exercise regularly. Try to manage your expectations, practice gratitude, and be kind to yourself.

Maintain your visibility. Public interest in public health is at an all-time high – capitalise on this and maximise your exposure by being a part of the conversation. Write articles, be a panellist, present at a conference or appear on a podcast as a way of contributing to the dialogue, and positioning yourself as a thought leader in your area of expertise.

Network, network, network. Focus on social connection even while physically distancing. Stay connected with your colleagues and clients via socials, email, telephone and virtual platforms. Explore structured opportunities to network such as mastermind groups.

Open your mind to new possibilities. As we continue to grapple with major change and adapt to new ways of working and collaborating, the opportunities for renewal and growth are immense. What could you start, scale back or stop? Anything is possible.

Play to your strengths. Consider your personal and professional strengths and resources, and how to leverage and maximise them. During this time of upheaval, consultants have the advantage of being accustomed to flexible and remote working, skilled at balancing work-life commitments, and expert at self-management. We also have track records in consulting – a unique advantage over other professionals, who may increasingly move into consulting due to rising unemployment.

Quality of your life = quality of your attention. Look after yourself and your loved ones, so you can focus on being the successful public health professional that you are.

Reconnect with your passion. Identify what you are passionate about – whether it relates to your personal or professional life – and spend time doing it, just for you. Get creative and have some fun.

Set goals. Write down your goals, as research shows we are more likely to achieve our goals if we write them down. One of my lockdown goals is to become an IUHPE Accredited Health Promotion Practitioner.

Tidy up. If you have extra time in your schedule, use it to clear the clutter, introduce a new filing system, tidy your inbox, make your work space more comfortable and inviting. Do the things on your wish list, the things you put off doing or simply don’t have enough time for. This period of quietness will come and go - use it well.

Understand that this time will pass. Some commentators believe the economic havoc wreaked by the coronavirus pandemic will fuel the gig economy – yet with rising unemployment, competition for consulting work may also rise. As restrictions start to ease there are early signs that the demand for consultants is increasing, with organisations keen to clear their backlog of work and access post-crisis support. This may be the quiet time before the boom.

Volunteer within your community or professionally within the health sector. Many consultants have offered complimentary resources and services during the COVID-19 crisis.

Website need updating? Writing a book? Now’s the time to do it.

(e)Xamine what’s worked and what hasn’t worked for your business in the past (e.g. marketing, brand, accounting) and fix it.

You can do this!

Zero regrets. As we emerge from the fog of COVID-19 and start to define our new normal, remember the words of Edmund Burke: The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. Work towards what you believe in, and stay focused on our shared public health values of equity and social justice.

About Rebecca:

Rebecca Zosel, MPH is a public health consultant in Melbourne, Australia. She works across government, not-for-profit, and corporate sectors to design, deliver, and evaluate evidence-informed solutions to improve population health and reduce health inequity.

You can read about her career journey, consulting services, and advice for aspiring consultants in our January 2019 interview. If you’d like to connect with Rebecca, you can find her on LinkedIn or Twitter.