Would you like to be an independent consultant? Do you have a marketable expertise? Do you have the other skills necessary for running a successful business? Consider these questions before launching your consultancy.
Independent consulting is not for everyone. If you're a company man – or woman – and you've been with the same organization for 20 years and the thought of change scares the hell out of you, then it's not for you. Change may be the best thing in the world for you, but success probably won't come easily – or even ever. You'll likely be too stymied by what just happened to you (getting laid off) or what you just did (quit outright) to think on your feet and react quickly. Don't do it – unless layoffs are imminent. If that's the case, or if you think it may be an option for you, then start thinking about your next move now and consider whether or not independent consulting is for you.
Let's consider...
Do you have a skill that someone would pay for just you to do?
First, consider your background. Is this something that someone would pay an individual to do? If you are a coding wiz as a programmer, then yes. If you are an experienced project manager, then there may be some options out there for you – mainly traveling around as a contract project manager on 6 or 12-month engagements around the country. Remote work isn't that easy to find. Will someone pay you to write content about what you do? That's much of what I've been doing and I stumbled into it somewhat accidentally about seven years ago. You can't just step out and successfully support yourself and your family from Day 1, no matter what. Be prepared to struggle for a while so it's best, if you can, to try to start this on the side before you do something crazy like quit your job. You may have to take a while to find your niche. I basically did what I'm doing now as very part-time self-employed consulting work for about three years before going out completely on my own. Now the periodic contract work is just that – very periodic and only if the right opportunity comes up...
Independent consulting is not for everyone. If you're a company man – or woman – and you've been with the same organization for 20 years and the thought of change scares the hell out of you, then it's not for you. Change may be the best thing in the world for you, but success probably won't come easily – or even ever. You'll likely be too stymied by what just happened to you (getting laid off) or what you just did (quit outright) to think on your feet and react quickly. Don't do it – unless layoffs are imminent. If that's the case, or if you think it may be an option for you, then start thinking about your next move now and consider whether or not independent consulting is for you.
Let's consider...
Do you have a skill that someone would pay for just you to do?
First, consider your background. Is this something that someone would pay an individual to do? If you are a coding wiz as a programmer, then yes. If you are an experienced project manager, then there may be some options out there for you – mainly traveling around as a contract project manager on 6 or 12-month engagements around the country. Remote work isn't that easy to find. Will someone pay you to write content about what you do? That's much of what I've been doing and I stumbled into it somewhat accidentally about seven years ago. You can't just step out and successfully support yourself and your family from Day 1, no matter what. Be prepared to struggle for a while so it's best, if you can, to try to start this on the side before you do something crazy like quit your job. You may have to take a while to find your niche. I basically did what I'm doing now as very part-time self-employed consulting work for about three years before going out completely on my own. Now the periodic contract work is just that – very periodic and only if the right opportunity comes up...
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