Have I gone mad? I don’t think so. The demand for experts to advice companies on ways to operate more efficiently has increased tremendously during this economy. The increase in costs above an employee’s salary has also made a contract/freelance position look much sweeter to the employer. Combine these reasons and the increase in online freelance marketplaces and you have a recipe for opportunity, if you want to take it.

So where is all of the work out there? Let’s look at the top three areas to find freelance work.

1. Staffing Companies

I like to list staffing companies first because this is an arrangement where they will work for you. Staffing companies look at thousands of positions and try to fill them with contract workers. They make their money by charging a bit more over your hourly rate. Link up with staffing companies that focus in your skill set (technology, management, manufacturing, etc.). Build a good relationship with these companies and you will have opportunities sent to you daily.

2. Online Marketplaces

There are projects sitting out there waiting for you. You just need to know where to find them. There are many freelance marketplaces that have thousands of opportunities for work. You can browse through available projects and bid on the ones that interest you. Lead time for these projects is short because all of the efficiencies of doing it online. Some very popular marketplaces are: eLance.com, Guru.com, oDesk.com, and ifreelance.com.

Don’t forget to also check out job boards on CareerBuilder.com, Monster.com, Hotjobs.com, and Dice.com for contract positions. In addition to these sites there are many listings posted on Craigslist.org. For these sites it always helps to search locally first. Many customers posting here will probably want to meet face to face.

3. Use Your Connections

The easiest jobs you will get are through people that already know and trust you. Take advantage of this by notifying your contacts about your freelance capabilities. Let them know about the services you offer and ask them if they need any help. In addition, start a blog and website to post helpful information and project examples. This will prove your expertise and show you are knowledgeable in your industry.

Communicate Effectively

To start let’s assume you already paid attention to the fundamentals. You know the client’s needs, goals, and where you can add value. Now you need to effectively communicate how you, as a consultant, will provide value. If you can’t effectively convey how your skills are going to aid the client, you won’t get the deal. To communicate well ensure you always think before you speak. I know it sounds simple, but think before you answer a question. Think about how the question is reflected for your client. Your client’s will appreciate your advice and begin to trust your answers.

When speaking with your clients stay away from jargon. Every industry has its own particular “language” – words, terms and expressions that are common to the industry but are foreign to people from other industries. Make sure that your client can understand what you are talking about; otherwise they will not know how you can help. If you try to impress them with jargon, you will most likely lose the deal.

When communicating with your client don’t forget to let them chime in. The best way to get your client involved in a conversation is to ask questions. By asking questions, you will begin to understand how you can help, and what the client feels is important. The more you know about the client the better. This will give you an upper hand to ensure you are hitting every point that is important to them.

 Be Passionate & Personable

Your client feels passionate about what they do, and if you show that you are passionate and enthusiastic about providing them the consulting skills they need, you’ll get the deal more often than not. Remember, your consulting in a area that you love so don’t hold back. If your client sees that you are truly happy with what you do, they will feel better about working with you.

Build relationships with your prospective client. Learn about the company and the persons that work for it. Look for similarities that you have with your client. Maybe it is a sport, education, hobby, etc. that you both enjoy. Find ways to talk about more than just busy. If you show your client that they are more than just another big deal for your portfolio, they will respect you are many levels.

To start building your network, join two or three organizations in your industry that are well known. This can usually be done online in only a few minutes. After joining these, begin by attending the meetings and events held by the organizations. In each meeting try to understand the type of people and businesses that attend them.

Attend at least 1 event every other week. If you’re like most, you don’t like approaching strangers in new social situations. That’s OK, it’s understandable. That’s why it is important to get mentally prepared before you show up. Your attitude guides your behavior, so you must overcome any negative self-talk that could hinder you from meeting people.

Remember that people enjoy talking about themselves. Individuals also feel flattered when you show interest in them and their work. Because of this, ask them questions about their business and what they do. This will help break the ice while giving you an insight on how your consulting services may be of help to them.

At each event you attend do not leave without 5-10 business cards of people you just met. Yes, this means you have to step out of your shell a bit and mingle with strangers. You must do this if you want to build a network. Review these contacts you met and schedule coffee or lunch with 1-2 of them during the next week. If you follow this exercise each week, it won’t be long before you know everyone in the room, and they will know who you are and what you do.

Don’t forget to use online tools to grow your network. Tools like LinkedIn.com, Facebook.com, and Twitter.com can expand your network to sizes you never imagined. While personal meetings are valuable they are limited by opportunities dictated by time and place – you have to be at the right place at the right time to meet the right people. On the other hand, networking online virtually has no bounds. It saves you a lot of time and money and allows you to expand your network at an incredible rate.

Now there are many different time tracking software available on the market. Some of the top products are:

• http://www.dovico.com

• http://www.clicktime.com/

• http://www.timemeter.com/

However, I’ve always used QuickBooks to manage my business finances. The largest pain of QuickBooks was entering in my time each week on multiple invoices, different billable rates, and different line items. All of this pain is gone since I started using QuickBook’s Time Tracker.

The reason I want to highlight QuickBook’s Time Tracker is the usability and integration. Some other time tracking systems do not integrate well with other accounting packages. Plus, QuickBooks is a quick, inexpensive, and easy to use software for consultants.

So what makes QuickBook’s Time Tracker so great?

Usability – The beauty of QuickBook’s Time Tracker is not the web interface. Although the web tool makes it fast and easy to input time, but most time tracking systems have those. The great thing is about QuickBook’s Time Tracker is their Gadget for Windows Vista users. The Gadget allows you to quickly track time, work descriptions, and associate them with different projects you are working on. And the best part, it’s simple to use. All you have to do is select the customer/project you are working on, start the timer, and click submit when you are finished.
Now there are many other Time Tracking systems that make it easy to input your time, so why is this one so special? …. Because it INTEGRATES!

Integration – Because this Time Tracker plugs into Quickbooks you no longer have to copy and paste your time into invoices! That’s right, when you enter yourtime from either the web, or Vista gadget it is automatically pulled into your customer’s invoices (once approved by you of course). This has saved me hours of work. which results in more time that can be productive/billable.

If you use QuickBooks in your consulting practice you should look into QuickBook’s Time Tracking system. In fact, you can try it for 30 days free and see if you like it. You learn more by following the link below:

http://quickbooks.intuit.com/product/add-ons/time-tracking-software.jsp

Step 1: Discover Your Niche

You are a professional and you have years of experience in a field. Before you begin to market yourself, you need to determine your focus. You must differentiate yourself from your competition. For example, there are many marketing experts out there. But only a few may have experience with a certain type of business or industry. For example, the difference between a ‘marketing expert’ and an ‘online retail marketing expert’ is big. This focus will allow you to narrow down your prospected customers while increasing your rate because you are specialized.

Step 2: Educate to Find Sales

The majority of your time that is not spent consulting should be spent finding clients. If you are still employed, check to see if you have a non-compete agreement that may prevent you from working with certain clients. If you left your former company on good terms, they may be your first client. Either way you need to build up a base of work from solid clients. The first place to look is through your close contacts. Start hitting the rolodex and notify your colleges of your new gig. Let them know you are looking for clients to “contribute your knowledge to help them succeed”.

When touching base with contacts in your industry include educational information (e.g. the latest industry trend and its direct affect on increasing revenues). Start a blog or newsletter that includes helpful information for the readers. This will show them you are up to date with the industry and an expert in your field. Next time they have a question or new project, they may ask you for recommendations and guidance.

Step 3: Build Your Sales Pipeline

Whether your rolodex delivers clients or not, you need to also develop other streams of customers. Introduce yourself to staffing companies in your area. Many times these companies have contract openings, at least a few months long, which can secure income for you. Other ways to find clients is through online consulting websites such as Guru.com, oDesk.com and Elance.com. A strategy sometimes overlooked is partnering with other consultants and companies. For example, an ‘online retail marketing expert’ may want to partner with local website development companies. These companies could recommend this consultant (for a small commission of course) to their customers after they build a website for them. In return, this consultant may return the favor when a client asks who to use for their next website.