learning from each gig and client should be part of your process
Becoming a better consultant isn’t something that has to be a major effort. Instead, it’s all about small, subtle changes in focus. It means highlighting areas where incremental improvement can lead to big payoffs, and using what you’re already doing …
These 13 questions will help you navigate difficulties and disagreements
Clients and consultants sometimes encounter difficulties when they don’t share a common understanding of how to improve a situation. They may not have a clear handle on the goals. The client might have a better understanding of their business than …
November 23, 2020 |
Insights |
Helen S. Cooke
How to find opportunity when the job market is unpredictable
This is a down market. Jobs are hard to come by, competition is fierce, and even while some jobs are opening up again, there are far fewer than before the slump. So how do you keep your focus and build …
our models of employment don’t work like they used to
In the decades before the gig worker boom, labor law concerned itself almost exclusively with people working either as employees or independent contractors. Those categories define how workers are regulated, taxed, what protections apply to them and the products of …
It’s all about communication
Consultants work with their clients to provide advice and support. Whether it’s just a short-term project or a consulting engagement lasting over many years, the best consultants know how to add value to the client relationship. They understand that the …
Change can be difficult. Here are ways to make it happen.
One of the challenges of being a consultant is helping your client make needed or desired changes. Consultants can identify the required change, but they don’t have direct control over its implementation. They need to work with their clients as …
You’re never too small to be at risk
Many people think that risk management is only relevant to major organizations with big budgets who run mega-projects or who work in a regulated or safety-critical industry sector. Those of us who own or manage a small-to-medium-sized enterprise (SME) might …
The changing gig landscape includes new regulations
There are many reasons why people choose to work in the gig economy. In a 2018 study by Gianpiero Petriglieri, Susan Ashford, and Amy Wrzesniewski, the people interviewed valued the independence that came with being an independent contractor working gigs …
February 19, 2020 |
Knowledge |
Amanda Finn
Smart strategies to find opportunities, outside of gig sites
The toughest part of freelancing is, arguably, finding new work. When it comes to paying the bills, freelancers know the hustle life better than most, but gig sites aren’t always the answer. Especially now that places like Upwork cost freelancers money without …
February 13, 2020 |
Knowledge |
Denise Gifford
these 14 questions will help you assess the strength of the relationship
Developing a partnership with your client—one built on mutual trust and understanding—is essential for establishing a long-term working relationship. If you aren’t trusted, your advice won’t be trusted. If you don’t understand the client as a person, you won’t know …
January 8, 2020 |
Knowledge |
Amanda Finn
Advice from gig sites on landing opportunities
When it comes to applying for jobs on Upwork or similar gig sites, sometimes it feels like throwing your resume into the wind. Is anyone even going to see it? What makes me different from the other 1000+ freelancers who …
December 11, 2019 |
Knowledge |
Amanda Finn
Take advantage of that extra time to build up or maintain your business
Whether the slow season in your business is the holidays or mid-year, there is often a slow season in every business sector. Days that aren’t full of meetings, projects, and other time-sensitive work can be the perfect time to get things …