Recently, in a spurt of ‘abundance thinking’, where I was convinced that 2010 is going to be a MUCH better year than 2009 (I can’t afford to think otherwise, can you?!), I decided to do an inventory of people/resources I can turn to when my workload is too heavy to do it all myself.

Like many fellow consultants, I can perform every function needed to support most client projects myself, but have found it very wise to outsource certain portions of my research projects when I have a heavy client load in order to ensure that my time is spent on the things that are: 1) high value activities, worthy of my $100+ hourly rate and 2) things that only I can do based on my unique talents or the client relationship.

In an effort to streamline the process when I need to turn to other resources, I created a spreadsheet that provides me with a quick glance at the resources I’ve qualified and established relationships with over the past 10 years.  Some of the features of the spreadsheet:

• Every row is a different person/resource
• The first few columns include contact information, notes about the resource and their specialty
• The rest of the columns are categories of resources such as Interviewing, Analysis, Recruiting, Panels/Lists, etc.
• I put an X in each column/category that a given resource can help with

Having this quick reference allows me to rapidly scan a given column when I have the need for support in any given area.  When I meet/qualify new resources, I add them to the spreadsheet, which ensures that I think of them when the need arises.  This saves me a LOT of time and helps me make sure I make the right choice for each project, which helps ensure high quality results for my clients.

Let’s all think ‘abundance’ for 2010 and do a similar inventory of our resources…and if you don’t HAVE back-up resources, be sure to find some…WIC is a great source of qualified people who can partner with you to help in almost any element of your work.

By: Jen Berkley Jackson

I love finding nifty tools, those little gadgets, programs, and the like that make life easier. In fact, when I redid my aveconsulting.com site recently, I added a section in the Visitor’s Toolbox where I list some of my faves. I’ll definitely add this newest one to the list.

If you use subcontractors — or you frequently (or infrequently, because it’s free) send documents that you need signed — you need to check out EchoSign.

Beyond Simple to Use

• EchoSign notifies the recipient via email that there’s a document for them to sign
• The recipient goes to the secure page, fills out the form, signs it digitally, and clicks a complete button
• EchoSign then sends a PDF of the signed document to the signer and the original requester

I just experienced the process from the signer end (W9, Contractor Agreement, Direct Deposit Form), and it was absolutely the most painless on-boarding process that I ever experienced. No printing. No faxing. No scanning. In about 10 minutes I was done (and that was only because I needed to read the agreement). I will hands down use it when I have docs for people to sign, as I’ll get them faster and keep my contractors happy.

Easy on the Bottom Line

As for the cost, if you send five docs or less per month, the service is free. After that, there are tiers based on usage. There are other nifty tools, too, like Zoho Writer, which “enables you to collaborate with partners, employees, and customers on documents and then send them out for instant digital signatures.” You can also use it to store forms and templates that you use again and again. There’s currently no charge for Zoho Writer, and it may be used with any type of EchoSign account.

If you’ve used EchoSign yourself, I’d love to hear about your experience. If you try it after reading this review, I’d like to know how you like it.

NOTE: I have no association with EchoSign whatsoever and in no way benefit from this recommendation — other than to make other consultants happy, which will hopefully reflect positively on Women in Consulting (WIC).

By: Avery Horzewski