On September 12, the Independent Consultants Network (ICN) of SID-US hosted a virtual event titled Fresh Ideas for Independent Consultants: New Ideas to Refresh Your Freelancer Career. A group of more than 30 explored and discussed emerging practices for independent consultants. Below is a summary of the key topics covered during the event.
The event featured a mix of presentations from the hosts and open discussion time for participants to share their own experiences and insights. ICN Co-Chairs Christy Hollywood of Konektid and Susanne Barsoum of Keylime led the discussion, with comments provided by attendees Jenny Lah, Jeffrey Haddad, and other independent consultants.
Key topics covered included:
- Leveraging AI Tools: Participants learned how to increase productivity using tools like ReadAI or parrot.ai for meeting summaries and ChatGPT for content creation. Caveats and cautions were also shared.
- New Networking Strategies: The discussion highlighted industry-specific podcasts, such as the Aid Market Podcast, CSIS’s broad offerings, the New York Times, and Devex. The group also touched on the strategic use of LinkedIn as effective ways to share information and network.
- Tech Solutions for Operations: The event introduced various tech solutions for operations and administrative tasks, such as scheduling assistants (Calendly and others), project management tools (Trello, Asana, Notion, Kanban boards, Meistertask, Smartsheets, etc.), and professional invoicing systems (QuickBooks and others).
Christy Hollywood shared that Gardner and Forbes rate Customer Relationship Management and other systems regularly, including “best for small business.” The group also cautioned to be wary of spoofed emails asking or sharing “new” bank account information.
There was a divergence of strong opinions on Slack as a collaboration tool. Others shared that using multiple Teams accounts is easiest with separate desktops on a Windows laptop or using different browsers for each client.
Because independent consultants don't have IT or HR departments introducing new tools and systems, events like this one help consultants stay current. The event created a space for freelancers to learn from each other about the latest trends and technologies shaping our industry. The group’s interests and comments will also inform future programming for the ICN.