Choppy Waters Boost Freelance Consultants Demand
Is it fair to talk about opportunity in the middle of a tragedy as devastating as Covid-19?
The coronavirus pandemic has torn the world apart. Businesses have gone bust. People have died. And there has been widespread suffering in different ways. Yet, as the world is still in the middle of its fight against the coronavirus, shifts in business activity have made it clear that there will be some lasting consequences to the way people work.
Freelance management consultants are shaping up to be more secure and more profitable than the traditional safety net of full-time employment. Let’s examine why.
Let's Recap
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused havoc to businesses all over the world.
In a very short space of time, businesses had to adjust to significant changes in the way they operate. From staff working remotely to supply chain friction, almost every business has faced challenges during this pandemic. Governments had to intervene in their economies in ways not seen before. This all happened at a rapid speed that has forced significant and sudden changes in consumer behavior and the way that businesses operate.
With many government-backed furlough schemes and other support packages coming to an end. Now is the time that many companies are reopening for business amidst a great deal of uncertainty. As businesses continue to emerge over the coming months, most will look very different from how they looked at the start of the pandemic.
Rapid change requires rapid consultants
Covid-19 has forced many businesses to step back and reassess their business models. Viable, profitable businesses are being torn apart in the face of Covid-19 and there are many questions about how many will survive the months ahead.
As businesses sail through unfamiliar waters, many need guidance from freelance consultants who know what they’re doing. The need for companies to get specific expertise onboard has been immediate and vital. The demand for quality consultants is increasing as businesses are keen to lock in the new skills. Expertise comes at a cost and freelance consultants are an attractive option for senior managers because most consultants are happy to offer flexible, part-time contracts and work on projects in focused bursts.
It’s hard to understate the importance and the scale of the adjustments many businesses are making. New directions need new expertise. Experienced freelance consultants have seen spikes in demand as businesses rush to adapt.
Businesses like to work with freelance management consultants because it allows them to get specialized advice in focused bursts. Faced with a significant economic downturn, many senior managers view freelance consultants as a more appealing prospect than taking on full-time employees. External expertise can immediately hit the ground running. It offers valuable insight into similar projects, and offers businesses the flexibility to quickly expand or contract resources. Moreover, it also helps to avoid fixed, long-term overheads.
It works for freelance consultants too
The freedom to work with a range of clients can help freelance experts develop their professional skills. Most companies are not reinventing the wheel with their projects and, as a freelance consultant, your previous work on similar projects can be a great asset.
A real benefit of working across different businesses on different projects is that you rapidly develop expertise by solving similar problems in a variety of different settings. This helps you to prepare on how to solve future problems as they come up. Clients recognize the value of this experience. They are willing to invest in freelance consultants who can offer them the service and advice that they need.
As a freelance consultant working at a time of rapid change, a key benefit you have is the freedom to choose who to work with. With the pandemic resulting in many businesses going bust, being able to build a portfolio of different clients offers freelancers a higher level of protection than relying on one single employer. Due to the nature of running your own freelance business, it’s also far quicker to move from contract to contract compared to moving from full-time job to full-time job. Given how widespread remote working has become during the Covid-19 pandemic. Clients will be far more willing to work with remote experts now and in the future. This can significantly expand the number of clients you can work with by widening your geographic reach and reducing time spent on-site.
Bring it on
The sudden need for businesses to change quickly has boosted the demand for specialized, external expertise. Now, freelance consultants are well placed to sail through the pandemic and ride the economic waves as the world recovers.
While freelancing comes with elements of risk, so does crossing the road or taking a full-time role. Moreover, the rewards available to many freelance consultants make the risks worthwhile.
With a broader acceptance of remote working, new markets and opportunities are opening all the time. Traditional barriers have broken down and companies are offering a greater level of flexibility to change the way they do things now and in the future. It’s safe to say that many of these changes have happened following the advice of experienced, independent consultants.
