A potential project is shared with NorthLawn either directly from a client or through a Client Owner

Through direct inquiry

1. Client reaches out through channel of choice (e.g., LinkedIn, email, website inquiry, etc.)
2. General Circle speaks with client to understand:
1. Project summary/ initial scope
2. Consultant profile (e.g., background, location, etc.)
3. Timing (i.e., start date, end date, days/ hours)
4. Budget

Through Client Owner

Same as “Through direct inquiry” but Client Owner can choose to delegate speaking about project details to General Circle

Through community forums or existing NorthLawn member relationships, a shortlist of well-suited members is shared

Through direct inquiry

1. General Circle posts a summary of the project to the Slack channel #ask-project-opportunities
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💡Example best practice Slack posting

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Project opportunity in the retail/ loyalty program space

• Summary: Client is a boutique consulting firm working with a retail company on revamping their loyalty program. You'd be part of a small team of other indie consultants. The specific role would be supporting business modeling (e.g., assumptions, predictions, benefit / cost of program, lift to key retail metrics, etc.). Modeling work will be Excel-based. While this is the current open role on their team, they are open to shifting around positions for the right fit.
• Profile they're looking for
• Loyalty program experience is a big plus
• Retail experience
• Business modeling experience (Excel)
• Someone who can travel to the client site in the US occasionally (so folks outside North America could be challenging)
• Timing:
• Full-time is ideal for client but could be part-time (e.g., 3 days a week) for right person
• 10 weeks
• Starting next week and wrapping up prior to holidays. (Off during US Thanksgiving)
• Location: Remote with rare travel to US-based client site (unsure yet where)
• Professional fees: Client mentioned their ideal is $1000 USD per diem full-time but recognizes this is likely unachievable for the level of talent in our community. My guess is something towards $1600+ USD per day 3 days a week for the right person could work. BUT this is my own guess so please come in with whatever number you feel is appropriate. Obviously lower is more likely go through. (Note that numbers above are before revenue-sharing so your take-home amount would be higher)

❗ If interested, please DM Brent by 5pm tomorrow Tues, Oct 3 with

1. 3-5 bullet points about your specific expertise as it relates to the above
2. Your latest resume, if it's different than what's on file on our Member Directory
3. Your rate for this and timing (full-time or part-time)

Timing is compressed because of the expected next week start date

2. Community Members send a DM Slack message to General Circle with the information asked of them in the post
3. General Circle checks to ensure the Community Member is a fit for the posting and will clearly communicate / ask for clarification if the Community Member’s is not a fit
4. General Circle sends a compiled email of all NorthLawn applicants and their information to the Client, and asks the client to reply with which Community Member(s) they would like to interview
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Note: When fees are shared with the client, General Circle adds 25% onto the Professional Fees as the Community Fee. (This is equal to 20% of total project fees)
5. General Circle will then introduce, in a new thread, each Community Member the client looks to interview
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Note: Since the Community Member was introduced to the Client via NorthLawn, this project and any future ones that could arise with the client would need to be done through NorthLawn, per the Community Member Agreement.
6. NorthLawn Member and Client will setup a time to interview and discuss qualifications and fit with the project. General Circle does not need to be present

Through Client Owner

Process steps are similar but the Client Owner should remain in direct contact with the General Circle throughout the process to help ensure all steps are being followed and to discuss which steps the Client Owner would like to do on behalf of NorthLawn

Once the client selects the Community Member(s) they would like to work with, the Community Member(s) create the high-level scope and the General Circle handles all contracting discussions

Through direct inquiry

1. Based on conversations between the Community Member and the client, the Community Member is responsible for writing up a 1-2 page project scope and aligning on the details with the client
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Note: Best practice is to ensure the scope is extremely clear to avoid any miscommunications. Often, this includes: defining the method/ steps for the work being conducted, the output format and length, the areas that are out of scope, any additional expenses expected and who will be covering them, how the consultant will interact with the rest of the team, the definition of done, etc.
2. General Circle will then insert the Community Member written scope into the Template Project Agreement and send to the client. The Community Member is welcome and encouraged to review the template agreement at this time. Any back and forth of term negotiations are done between the General Circle and client (not the Community Member). The General Circle will not negotiate on the Community Member’s behalf on their rates.
3. Once all parties are in agreement (client, Community Member, General Circle), the General Circle will load the final agreement into the e-sign tool and send automated links to the different parties. Community Member should not begin work until contract is fully executed.

Through Client Owner

The above process is identical. The Client Owner may decide to offer advice to the Community Member on their scope creation but no contracting activities is done by the Client Owner.

Through direct inquiry

1. Community Member works directly with client on the agreed upon work. They are encouraged to reach out to the General Circle or NorthLawn broadly with any questions or advice that could make them more effective in their work.
2. General Circle will reach out to the client partway through the project via email to see how the project is progressing and to see if there’s any feedback. If so, they will work to rectify any issues.
3. Once project is completed, Community Member sends email confirmation to General Circle of client confirming the project is done. Community Member will then send an invoice to NorthLawn for the Professional Fees, including the banking details for the account the Community Member would like to receive payment.
4. General Circle will then send an invoice to the client for the full project fees with net 30 payment terms.
5. Once the client’s payment is within NorthLawn accounts, General Circle will promptly send Professional Fees to the Community Member. Timing of receipt by the Community Member is dependent on banking timelines but often is received within 7 business days.

Through Client Owner

The above process is identical. The Client Owner is not involved in any payment pieces. This is all handled through the General Circle.

Through direct inquiry

1. General Circle follows up with client for a short, 15 minute phone call to ask how the project went and for any feedback. Questions include:
1. In general, how did things go working with the independent consultant?
2. What went well and what can be improved with the consultant?
3. On a scale of 1-5, how likely are you to work with the consultant again with 1=never and 5=actively looking for ways to collaborate again? Why?
4. What went well and what can be improved from your interactions with NorthLawn broadly?
5. On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend NorthLawn to a friend or colleague with 0= definitely not recommending and 10= definitely recommending?
6. Could we have your permission to quote you and/or reference our work together on LinkedIn and other channels?
2. Community Member is responsible for removing any confidential information, as agreed with the client, from their devices and to maintain any agreed upon client confidentiality.
3. Community Member to follow up and maintain relationship with Client, ensuring to abide by the Community Member agreement, especially that any future work through the client would need to go through NorthLawn.

Through Client Owner

If preferred, the Client Owner can be the one to have the close-out conversation/ feedback with the client.

The Client Owner can also be the one to continue maintaining the relationship with the client, ensuring that they let the Community Member know so that there is coordination between the two and the client isn’t receiving multiple follow ups.