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You’ve got the business name. You’ve got the legal setup. You’ve started thinking through your niche.
Now comes the part many new consultants miss:
How do people actually find you?
In this episode of The Safety Consultant Show with Sheldon Primus, Sheldon continues the 2026 business startup series by walking safety professionals through practical networking strategies that can help them start building real consulting opportunities.
This is not theory. This is the “go make something happen” part of the business.
If you are an EHS professional, safety manager, trainer, OSHA compliance specialist, or future safety consultant, this episode gives you practical places to start building your network before you leave your job, while you are still testing your niche, or while you are trying to land your next client.
What This Episode Covers
In Part 1 of the series, Sheldon covered getting your business legal and structured.
In Part 2, he talked about finding a profitable niche.
In Part 3, he focuses on where to network and find consulting opportunities, including:
Using Upwork to find project-based consulting work
Signing up with Yellowbird as a safety professional
Building relationships through LinkedIn groups
Networking inside Facebook safety groups
Partnering with your local safety council
Using training events to build credibility and attract future clients
Proving your consulting concept before leaving your full-time job
Why This Matters
A safety consulting business does not grow just because you know OSHA standards.
It grows because people know what you do, trust that you can help them, and can find you when they need your expertise.
That means you need more than technical knowledge.
You need a network.
This episode shows you how to start spreading that web in a smart, practical way so you can begin turning your safety experience into business opportunities.
Featured Resources Mentioned
Sheldon discusses several places safety consultants can use to start finding opportunities and building relationships:
Upwork
A freelance platform where you can bid on safety, training, writing, compliance, and consulting projects.
Yellowbird
A platform designed to connect safety professionals with companies needing EHS support.
LinkedIn Groups
A strong place to build visibility, answer questions, and connect with safety professionals and potential clients.
Facebook Groups
Including Sheldon’s Safety Consultant group, where safety officers and consultants can network and share opportunities.
Local Safety Councils
A powerful local networking option where you may be able to offer training, partner on events, or connect with organizations needing help.
Who Should Listen
This episode is especially helpful for:
Safety professionals thinking about becoming consultants
EHS managers wanting a side income
OSHA trainers looking for more business opportunities
New consultants trying to find their first clients
Experienced safety pros who need a better networking strategy
Consultants who want to build visibility without spamming people online
Key Takeaway
Your network can become your first business development system.
But the goal is not to spam people.
The goal is to show up, participate, answer questions, build trust, and let people see that you are the person who can help solve their safety and compliance problems.
As Sheldon says, this is about taking action right now.
You’ve got the business name. You’ve got the legal setup. You’ve started thinking through your niche.
Now comes the part many new consultants miss:
How do people actually find you?
In this episode of The Safety Consultant Podcast, Sheldon continues the 2026 business startup series by walking safety professionals through practical networking strategies that can help them start building real consulting opportunities.
This is not theory. This is the “go make something happen” part of the business.
If you are an EHS professional, safety manager, trainer, OSHA compliance specialist, or future safety consultant, this episode gives you practical places to start building your network before you leave your job, while you are still testing your niche, or while you are trying to land your next client.
In Part 1 of the series, Sheldon covered getting your business legal and structured.
In Part 2, he talked about finding a profitable niche.
In Part 3, he focuses on where to network and find consulting opportunities, including:
A safety consulting business does not grow just because you know OSHA standards.
It grows because people know what you do, trust that you can help them, and can find you when they need your expertise.
That means you need more than technical knowledge.
You need a network.
This episode shows you how to start spreading that web in a smart, practical way so you can begin turning your safety experience into business opportunities.
Sheldon discusses several places safety consultants can use to start finding opportunities and building relationships:
Upwork
A freelance platform where you can bid on safety, training, writing, compliance, and consulting projects.
Yellowbird
A platform designed to connect safety professionals with companies needing EHS support.
LinkedIn Groups
A strong place to build visibility, answer questions, and connect with safety professionals and potential clients.
Facebook Groups
Including Sheldon’s Safety Consultant group, where safety officers and consultants can network and share opportunities.
Local Safety Councils
A powerful local networking option where you may be able to offer training, partner on events, or connect with organizations needing help.
This episode is especially helpful for:
Your network can become your first business development system.
But the goal is not to spam people.
The goal is to show up, participate, answer questions, build trust, and let people see that you are the person who can help solve their safety and compliance problems.
As Sheldon says, this is about taking action right now.
The Safety Consultant Podcast with Sheldon Primus is your ultimate weekly guide to starting or growing a profitable occupational safety and health consulting business. Are you ready to be your own boss and make a greater impact? Your expertise can help more people create safer workplaces, and your skills deserve a platform where they can truly shine. If you feel limited in your current role and believe your knowledge could serve the broader workforce more effectively, this podcast is for you. Join us as we explore the steps to launch your own safety consulting business, share insights on navigating the industry, and provide strategies to maximize your impact on workplace health and safety. Now is the perfect time to take control of your career and make a difference!
[SPEAKER_02]: Sheldon, welcome to the safety consultant show with Sheldon primus, where we blend safety sparks with business brilliance and the pitch of Sheldon's signature wit, whether you're a safety pro of fresh face consultant, or just safety curious, get ready for a show that will educate, entertain and elevate your safety game.
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's dive into the art of consulting with your safety
[SPEAKER_00]: This episode is powered by Safety FM.
[SPEAKER_01]: Welcome to the Safety Consultant podcast on your host show and primus is the podcast where I teach you the business about being a safety consultant.
[SPEAKER_01]: And we talk about EH and S things.
[SPEAKER_01]: We talk about mindfulness things.
[SPEAKER_01]: I haven't done that at all, but I think I may need to especially nowadays in the globe where we're going through some stuff.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm talking about a lot of things, and right now, in this series, we've been talking about if I were to start my business right now in 2026, what would I do?
[SPEAKER_01]: And right now, in 2026, I already talked to you about getting legal first.
[SPEAKER_01]: Last week, we talked about ditching, getting a niche, and then,
[SPEAKER_01]: don't think I even talked about the niches but I assumed that everyone by now might know but what a niche is just your specialty what you can do that you are really you excel in and that people are looking for you you fill a need you actually solve a problem you can answer a question so that's the niche work that I speak of so this week though we're going to talk
[SPEAKER_01]: and join so that you can start spreading a web out of networking on networking is very important.
[SPEAKER_01]: So we'll talk about networking and we'll catch up when we come back.
[SPEAKER_02]: We'll be back with more of Sheldon primus and the safety consultant show in just a moment.
[SPEAKER_02]: Are you ready to make a difference?
[SPEAKER_02]: Introducing the Safety Consultant Blue Print Course.
[SPEAKER_02]: Unlock your potential as a Safety Consultant.
[SPEAKER_02]: Learn the skills, strategies, and ethics to create safer workplaces for your very own client.
[SPEAKER_02]: From risk assessment to client acquisition, we've got you covered.
[SPEAKER_02]: Become a safety consultant and open doors to being your own boss.
[SPEAKER_02]: Join us and be the hero of Workplace Safety and roll today.
[SPEAKER_02]: Safety starts with you.
[SPEAKER_02]: Take the first step now.
[SPEAKER_02]: Visit our website and enroll in the Safety Consultant Blue Freak Course Empowered businesses for tech lines.
[SPEAKER_02]: Safety Consultant BluePrint.com
[SPEAKER_02]: We now return to the safety consultants show.
[SPEAKER_02]: Once again, here's Sheldon Primus.
[SPEAKER_01]: OK, welcome back.
[SPEAKER_01]: So let's talk about networking our first let's go over a quick of what we did already.
[SPEAKER_01]: We talked about getting legal.
[SPEAKER_01]: So we told you by getting your business name, or I told you by getting your business name, website.
[SPEAKER_01]: We talked about insurance and done some Bradstreet D&B number.
[SPEAKER_01]: Talked about getting a bank account.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's episode one of the series.
[SPEAKER_01]: Episode two of the series we started talking about some niche work finding some things that work well that you know well And that you could sell which is important and Told you to get a backup niche and then also don't get tied to having to make your money as a safety consultant You could make your money other ways.
[SPEAKER_01]: So Again, whatever works You're just trying to make some money and you're trying to have some fun.
[SPEAKER_01]: So do both
[SPEAKER_01]: So this week, we're going to talk about different networking companies you can sign out for.
[SPEAKER_01]: I told you guys last week that I am a subject matter expert in general industry and construction.
[SPEAKER_01]: I've done a lot of written programs for people and written courses and designed some courses.
[SPEAKER_01]: A lot of that came from different services where people look up.
[SPEAKER_01]: Where to find, or at least they post, I need a person who's a specialist to come and help me with this.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm going to tell you guys a couple of companies to go to.
[SPEAKER_01]: And, um, I have, um, good to show them the primeest.com.
[SPEAKER_01]: And, um, I don't know when I should call it.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to set a page.
[SPEAKER_01]: But, uh, let's just call it,
[SPEAKER_01]: networking.
[SPEAKER_01]: Shownprice.com for slash networking and I'm going to give you some company names right away.
[SPEAKER_01]: But I'm going to also put a list together for you guys.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm going to have to write myself a note here.
[SPEAKER_01]: So here's me writing down my self a note and do SP.com for slash networking.
[SPEAKER_01]: and what that will do is the company style list out here.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's going to be the one step I'm going to set up on that page.
[SPEAKER_01]: All right.
[SPEAKER_01]: Boy, no.
[SPEAKER_01]: First company that I've worked with for many, many years used to be called Elans, but it hasn't been called that and forever.
[SPEAKER_01]: It is now called UpWorksUpWork.com.
[SPEAKER_01]: So UpWork.com is a company that specializes in connecting professionals that are going to be just pretty much consultants like yourself.
[SPEAKER_01]: you want to go to Upwork, get yourself an account with Upwork, and you're going to look for keywords of different things that you do.
[SPEAKER_01]: So whatever your specialty is from the niche that you figured out last week.
[SPEAKER_01]: you want to make sure that you're going to go ahead and you're going to put together the niche keywords that you could use and upwork to try to find someone looking for that particular niche.
[SPEAKER_01]: So now that you put in a bid or what you'll need to do then is put in a bid and you're going to say I could do this job for X amount of hours in this price or for this project price and if you will win the bid, you got a client.
[SPEAKER_01]: So you stay on the Outwork platform and you work through whatever job that they are hiring you for.
[SPEAKER_01]: You do a great job and then you look for the next client.
[SPEAKER_01]: In some cases, they're going to want you on a longer period of time.
[SPEAKER_01]: So sometimes it starts on UpWorks and then it may go off the platform.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's up to the agreement with you in the client, but go to UpWorks, sign up for that as a consultant.
[SPEAKER_01]: or if you're needing some extra help for yourself, I actually use someone to help me with my website when I first got started from Upwork.
[SPEAKER_01]: It was awesome.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm going to go ahead and do that too.
[SPEAKER_01]: So Upwork.com is the first one.
[SPEAKER_01]: Next company is Yellowbird.
[SPEAKER_01]: I've had them on the episode on the podcast twice now, and I haven't had them in a while, but I need to reach out again, but goyelobird.com is a specialty service for consultants.
[SPEAKER_01]: And so what you would do is as a consulting.
[SPEAKER_01]: You would sign up for Yellover and that they would place you with the specialties that you list out.
[SPEAKER_01]: They'll place you with a local company that's looking for your specialty, your niche.
[SPEAKER_01]: So again, you can start building your clientele by using the service and it's really good for you guys that are still working.
[SPEAKER_01]: So if you're still working, then I utilize these companies to get your foot on the door to start doing things on your own pace before you quit your job.
[SPEAKER_01]: So it's a proof of a concept.
[SPEAKER_01]: So go ahead and check that out.
[SPEAKER_01]: Go yellowbird.com.
[SPEAKER_01]: Tell them Sheldon Center.
[SPEAKER_01]: Linked in.
[SPEAKER_01]: Believer not LinkedIn is a great networking platform.
[SPEAKER_01]: Join a lot of the networking groups out there.
[SPEAKER_01]: There's a bunch of LinkedIn networking group by host one called OShit Compliance Help and one for waste order which is water waste order resources group and it's safety resources and management.
[SPEAKER_01]: So go to LinkedIn, look for these groups and sign up for them.
[SPEAKER_01]: communicate with people back and forth.
[SPEAKER_01]: Sometimes people are looking for consultants for certain projects and they'll post there.
[SPEAKER_01]: Sometimes they'll post things where people are hiring.
[SPEAKER_01]: It does not hurt for you to grab a part-time job if you wanted to, you know, just anyway that you're making money, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: And something will probably develop.
[SPEAKER_01]: And let's say you could turn a part-time job into a consulting gig, you know,
[SPEAKER_01]: that's up to you and then the way that you negotiate and will not just you with the client.
[SPEAKER_01]: So it's all possible.
[SPEAKER_01]: So what you're going to do then is just go ahead and sign up for LinkedIn and then after you sign up put a profile picture and don't spam people just be a person, communicate and see thing with the Snicks resource Facebook groups.
[SPEAKER_01]: Join some of the Facebook
[SPEAKER_01]: So you go to facebook.com for slash groups with an S and for slash safety consultant with no S at the end.
[SPEAKER_01]: So facebook.com for slash groups for slash safety consultant.
[SPEAKER_01]: And right now, I think we've got something like 3,000 actual safety consultants in that and just safety officers as well, you're not going to just spam that group, but what you're going to do is answer the three questions to get in and then after that, you're going to network.
[SPEAKER_01]: You're going to find some other people that do what you do every now and then, some people will post jobs.
[SPEAKER_01]: And you're going to do your best to get a network of people who are either going to be safety consultants themselves and maybe a partner with them in something in the project or you might find someone who's a safety officer looking to get some of their workload down by getting a consultant.
[SPEAKER_01]: So that's again, you're not going to spam these groups and LinkedIn or Facebook, but you just
[SPEAKER_01]: And then the last one is your local safety consultant, or excuse me, your local safety counsel.
[SPEAKER_01]: So how this one will work is for you to go down to a local safety counsel wherever you are, and you're going to ask them for any kind of...
[SPEAKER_01]: Work that they may have available, especially retraining, and if you can, set up some training events in their room, give them a percentage of whatever the cost is, or pay the room fee, and now they're your bringing an events to them, and now they can promote it with their marketing campaigns because of your event, so now you're leveraging their email list,
[SPEAKER_01]: and you're going to have an event and you're partnering with someone to help build your client base after these events, typically speaking people say, hey, I like that and you're going to have the opportunity to go back to their facility and help them with whatever issue they're dealing with at their work.
[SPEAKER_01]: So that's a, that's the way that you could utilize those networking groups with networking opportunities.
[SPEAKER_01]: Again, we're only doing this in bite size pieces.
[SPEAKER_01]: So next week, we're going to talk about certificates and specialize things that you're going to need to help prove that you are the actual expert in your field.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's going to give you just a conversation about certificates
[SPEAKER_01]: You can do enough and you need to get your business kind of launched a little if you need a jump start, then go ahead and go to SheldonPrimest.com and you can sign up for the safety consultant 101 that's coming up in August.
[SPEAKER_01]: and also what you can do is go to safetyconsultantnobluprint.com, safetyconsultantnobluprint.com, and you've got all the things we went over so far and go into more detail because it's a course.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's interactive, I got some games in there, and then it could truly get some understanding of the concept I'm telling you in these quick episodes, and I'm going to give you all the information in that course.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's what the course is for, but I'm going to get you started.
[SPEAKER_01]: Think of this as food for thought, and at least some things that could get you this take action right now.
[SPEAKER_01]: All right, so that's it for this episode.
[SPEAKER_01]: Next week, we'll be the last episode, and we'll talk a little bit about your shirts.
[SPEAKER_01]: All right, so right now, go get them.
[SPEAKER_02]: That's a wrap for today's Safety Show.
[SPEAKER_02]: Remember, Safety isn't just about hard hats and caution signs.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's about business smarts too.
[SPEAKER_02]: Thanks for joining us on the Safety Consultant Show with Sheldon primers.
[SPEAKER_02]: Until next time, stay safe, stay savvy, and keep consulting like a boss.
[SPEAKER_02]: Go get him.
[SPEAKER_02]: The views in the opinion you expressed on this podcast or broadcast are those of the host in a guest and non-necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the company.
[SPEAKER_02]: Examples of analysis discussed within the past hour only examples.
[SPEAKER_02]: It should not be utilized in the real world as the only solution available, as they are based only on very limited and dated open source information.
[SPEAKER_02]: Assumption made within this analysis are not reflective of the positions of the company.
[SPEAKER_02]: No part of this podcast of broadcast may be reproduced stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means mechanical electronic recording or otherwise without prior written permission of the creator of the podcast of broadcast Sheldon Primus.