IOSH Conference 2012 – Going it alone

For some practitioners, the decision to become a health and safety consultant will have been made some time ago and they are still making their plans. Others may have had their hand forced in the current economic climate by, for example, redundancy. Either way, you need to plan well and have a strategy, as James Bridgland explains.

“Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time?” It is easy to disregard this as an interview cliché but it is probably one of the most important questions you can ask yourself. And never mind ten years – what about 20 years, or 30? Here is a rare opportunity to make significant changes in your life so you need to think where you would like to end up towards the end of your career. What sort of work would you like to do in future? Where would you like to work: locally; nationally; internationally? When do you hope to retire?

Some sort of longer-term plan will help you get there by giving direction to all of the smaller decisions you will need to make along the way. Otherwise, you may find that you drift into areas that take you away from your longer-term aims.

The bottom line

Before going any further, you need to do some maths and work out how much money you need to earn. (Note that this is different to how much you would like to earn!) Can you reconcile this with the sort of work that you will enjoy?
If the numbers have not put you off by this stage you need to think next about where the money will come from. Can you secure a regular income, such as a fixed-sum contract from one or more clients for a given period? If this can pay the mortgage or rent, food and bills then you will be in a good position to build your business. You will also need to think about how long you can survive if no money is coming in. Can you build up a ‘buffer’ in case of lean times?

Contacts

It is often said that “people buy people”. Even in a large company, clients, contractors and others build a relationship not with the company but with the people with whom they interact. As a consultant, this will make the difference between surviving and thriving. Perhaps the most valuable part of a consultant’s business is his or her address book, so get your contact list up to date and make sure you have a back-up copy.

Most software systems allow contacts to be categorised, sorted and managed and this will be time well spent. Packages such as Microsoft Outlook can provide effective contacts management. More sophisticated packages, such as Sage ACT! will give you more options.

Building on your strengths

If you focus on work that you know about and enjoy then you can demonstrate your competence; use your experience and technical knowledge; work more effectively; use your contacts in the sector concerned; and be able to generate more business. Successful consultants carry people along with their passion for the subject and their interest in their clients’ businesses.

Soft skills

If “people buy people”, then it stands to reason that this is an area worth looking at more closely. A successful pitch for new business generally involves a sound understanding of the client’s requirements; a good presentation of what you have to offer; and a feeling that both sides want to work with each other.

The skills needed by a consultant to handle all of this successfully do not come naturally to most people. They need to be cultivated and constantly developed. You may have to pay for training courses, or you may be able to find free sessions at local IOSH meetings or other events, but you should be on the look-out for ways to develop listening skills; an awareness of body language; presentation techniques; negotiation skills; and a range of other ‘soft skills’. IOSH runs some courses, or you can find them via the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development,¹ as well as from your local training providers.

Setting up in business

There are many excellent resources available that deal with the mechanics of setting up in business. These include IOSH Consultancy Group² and local branch events,³ the Government’s Business Link website,⁴ and, of course, discussions with other consultants. Matters to address include the following:

• Trading structure – will you be a sole trader, partnership, limited liability partnership (LLP), or limited company?
• Premises and equipment – will you work from home, a dedicated office (sole occupancy or shared), or a business bureau?
• Trading name – is the name you want available (check, too, at Companies House if you are setting up a Limited company⁵)? Is the Internet domain name available (.co.uk, .com, other)? Does it convey the right image?
• IT systems – domain-based e-mail? Back-up systems for data? Remote access to
  e-mail and documents? Should you build a business website?
• Telephone systems – how can you ensure maximum availability? Can you divert your landline to mobile when out of the office? How about using a telephone-answering bureau? Will there be any office employee(s)?
• Use of contractors – should you use a bookkeeper, IT contractor, typing bureau, Web designer, or any other services to deal with certain matters more effectively and thus release your time?
• Professional memberships – what is your IOSH membership level? Could you be eligible to join other professional bodies? What resources and support do you need? What are the networking opportunities?
• Business systems – you need to consider levels of insurance cover (professional indemnity, liability, office equipment); stationery, terms of business, and standard forms; filing systems and archive filing and retention periods. Bear in mind that being organised generally makes life less stressful;
• Regulatory matters – make sure you know what is needed to comply with the requirements of the Information Commissioner’s Office, the Copyright Licensing Agency, and other regulatory bodies. If you will be using your own car for business, do your insurers know this? Have you prepared a health and safety policy for your own business?
• Financial management – can a local business contact recommend a good accountant? Will you need an overdraft? What do you need to set aside to pay the next tax bill? Should you register for VAT? How will you get people to pay your bills promptly?
• I would recommend writing a business plan to bring together all of the matters discussed so far. If you need to borrow money from the bank, then you will have to prepare one anyway but it is also a useful exercise to help give direction to your plans.

Marketing and building your business

Define your ‘product’. As a consultant, this is your accumulated knowledge and experience, together with the ability to apply it effectively. As part of this you need to consider the prices you will charge; whether they represent good value; and how they compare with the market.

You also need to acknowledge the areas where you are not so strong. Be honest and do not be afraid to get help, or to suggest a referral to another advisor if you are out of your comfort zone. It may seem like you are turning away business but referrals work in both directions, and your business will be stronger if you build up a network of trusted people who can complement your activities.

There should be a marketing aspect to all of your work as a consultant, in that every contact with the outside world is an opportunity to get your name in front of potential clients, or people who may be able to refer you to potential clients. As such, you should spend some time writing a marketing plan in order to focus your approach. The Business Link website contains a useful guide.⁶

One of the most effective forms of marketing is for satisfied clients to refer other people to you. You will need to provide an excellent service to maximise the likelihood of this happening. A good service is nothing special because you have been paid to provide this and you are simply fulfilling the contract. In order to provide an excellent service you should remember that:

• business is about relationships. It is important to build a good relationship not just with clients but with clients’ employees; clients’ other advisors, contractors and contacts; and anyone else with whom you deal – even your direct competitors;
• clients like reliability, honesty and integrity. They like advice to be delivered promptly and their telephone calls to be returned quickly. They like to be kept informed. It is better to under-promise and over-deliver than vice-versa; and
• advice given should be effective and proportionate. It should be practical, understandable, helpful and should add value to clients’ businesses.

Conclusion

If you have a good product and you can identify a clear market for it, then there should be a sound future for you as a health and safety consultant. Trading conditions may be challenging at the moment but you will be very well placed for the future if you can succeed in establishing your business now. Any time of change presents opportunities as well as difficulties, and the opportunities may be significant as economic conditions begin to improve.    

References
1    Short training courses – www.cipd.co.uk/training/shortcourses/
2    IOSH Consultancy Group – www.iosh.co.uk/groups/ consultancy_group.aspx
3    IOSH branch information – www.iosh.co.uk/networks/our_branches/ uk_branch_map.aspx
4    http://tiny.cc/qc8yk
5    www.companieshouse.gov.uk/
6    http://tiny.cc/08ksx

James Bridgland is a director of Phase Consultants Ltd. He co-presented a session on this subject at the CoreSkills+ workshop during the IOSH Conference on Wednesday, 7 March.

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