Photo © Craig Mackintosh

It turns out that very few of those that do a PDC end up being consultants. It took me a while to actually become a paid consultant and I’ve only been doing it for a little while. I took so long to become one as I truly thought everyone who’d done a PDC would become a consultant and that I would just end up being ‘another consultant’. Wow, was I wrong! Of course, not everyone has to be one, many of us have other interests to pursue, but there are lots of us who do want to be consultants, but become defeated by things like a lack of knowledge, experience, confidence and other obligations (family, secure job, etc.).

What I decided to do for you my friend was to set myself up as an example of what is possible. So at the age of 33, with second child in wife’s belly, I decided to take the plunge and become a full time consultant. We had little money — nothing that would help establish a business. I did, well, jump into it head first. This could be bad advice as I am not into ruining lives! Well, maybe a little bit and for the best, wink wink.

Now, I have done plenty of free designs/consults in the past, as I’ve had a 15 year passion for permaculture and a PDC in my belt. I do hate to mention the amount of time that I’ve had an interest in permaculture, as a lot of you are new. But, I had always used ‘the greats’ as a way to help me avoid the big step in becoming a ‘professional permaculturalist’. They have been doing it for so much longer than me. My thoughts were always, "I’ll never be that good to actually do it correctly or charge people, god forbid!" Don’t let this stop you. If you have the desire, you’re already half-way there, and what you don’t know, learn. Yes, it is that simple. And really, the cliché is true, the more you know the less you know; and nature will let you know that!

A PDC can either make you feel as though you know nothing or that you know everything. Neither is true. A PDC will make you feel as though you need to do something. That’s essential. The need to do. I was fed up with it being a hobby. I was fed up that there were not consultants everywhere! The world bloody needs them so let’s give it a crack, eh?

So, I started a permaculture business, Terra Sancta Permaculture, and without any business knowledge. But hell, I can learn that and I hooked up with some training in small business. I searched all over the place for people doing consultancy and noticed a few posts by a fella named Nick Huggins. I started posting a bunch of questions as I didn’t really know how to start. Nick pretty much immediately invited me to contact him personally and iron out some of the questions I had about becoming a professional consultant. I was quite amazed that by speaking up, help just showed up.

This was excellent. I had a vague idea but actually setting up shop is a whole new realm and you definitely do not go through this during a PDC. You are told you can be a consultant just not how. Nick was thorough with me and gave me enough info to get cracking. These days Nick is actually setting up a permaculture business service, to help those wanting to make it as a consultant/designer, an extremely excellent and needed service.

But who needs a permaculture consultant? Isn’t this all common sense? Is it a real service? I know some of you are in this head space. I have been there too. I really thought that everyone knew as much as I did about permaculture. I didn’t realize most people didn’t and I could actually help people! Wow, that’s nice, isn’t it?

Yes, there are millions of people out there wanting to live ‘sustainably’ or wanting some empowerment in their lives and just don’t know how to do it. There are plenty of people with PDCs who still don’t know, as their brains buzz with a billion ideas. The work of the consultant is important in facilitating the client’s vision, molding it into something workable and fun. Clients will come to you with grand visions that will get your brow dripping in sweat and your heart racing in maddening panic. Fear — if you feel fear rolling around your eye balls, you are going about it the wrong way and you are not helping the client. They need to know the realities of their vision, and that their plans, inmost cases, will end up being abandoned.

This brings my other point on the benefits of having consultants in our world. People abandon ‘self-sufficiency’ projects all the time. Many people come from very delicate places when heading into self-sufficiency territory, and often go into it with little to no planning or understanding. We need to tread carefully here and we need to help them plan effectively so what they want is possible and not an impossible dream. It’s an amazing, rewarding and important way to live yet people are scared and we can help.

Now, we’re not telling people what to do here. Our clients tell us and we make it happen using good design and planning; obviously within reason. Never feel you need the answers straight away and realise that your initial design will never be the final product. You will learn so much by doing and that applies to everything. You will be given challenges all the time and that is an awesome way to learn, because, well, you have to. And then, guess what? You’ll know it! And you’ll get better and better until you realize you don’t know much. But, you’ll be a decent designer, I am sure.

But why does one become a consultant? ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’? Absolutely not. The change I want to see is far too weird! Ha! My reason is that I knew there was a need there, and I knew people were too afraid to go in into, not feeling 100% about it. I know that with the experience I have I can share with those that don’t have the experience or knowledge. Even with deciding to write this article, my intention is the sharing of experience that I hope someone out there needs to read.

We design sustainable and regenerative systems. For some reason, taking this path has opened up a lot for me. I do have clients and when I needed help it appeared straight away. Don’t feel afraid to need help or advice. If you want to be a consultant, it does take a lot of setting up and knowing how to do it but there are plenty of us around to help.

Don’t feel ready for it?

Then what’s that old permaculture principle about starting small? Start small, always, as this is an excellent habit. We tend to go big straight away, but start with what you can do. If you feel overwhelmed, as I said, there are plenty of us around to help. We are into co-operation not competition. Generally, permaculture does attract helpful people, believe it or not!
We can, as people involved in permaculture and various ‘eco- clicks’, forget that there’s a huge amount of people that still don’t know what we do and don’t realise how it works and what’s involved. That’s pretty bloody exciting. All those lenses ready to be shattered!

Most importantly as a consultant, we, well me really, am hoping to empower my clients, so that there is no fear of things like peak oil, food shortages, etc. — to educate and give back the power to those who feel they cannot make change when they actually can, and that it’s fun. And, that it’s simple — they don’t need to stress about it, as we as the ‘professionals’ can help, plan and implement with them. There really is no better way to live.

As I said, you don’t have to be a professional designer/consultant, but if you want to, do it. Many are out there to help. Don’t take on what you feel is too much, but start with what you feel at least a little bit confident in. Chances are you have plenty to share, and remember you’re coming from a place that empowers others and rebuilds natural systems. Spread the power comrade!

Originally published:

http://permaculture.org.au/2012/06/14/consultancy-who-needs-it-why-do-it-are-you-ready-for-it/