Become an Independent Consultant - Here’s What It Takes.

A consultant can be best defined as one who chooses not to be an employee; one who is willing to depend upon his or her own talents, abilities, and expertise for continued existence; one who is a risk taker -- knowing that there is no weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly pay checks; one who may seem to be a little crazy and weird to his peers, but one is willing to try to make a difference in the world.

Being a consultant means willing to accept extended periods of working alone while balancing that need with time to have fun with others. It also means dealing with the challenge of finding those times and making those times meaningful.

In that you work for yourself, you have to organize your own day. I suggest that you break your day into one hour segments or thirty minute segments depending on the task and how much time may be needed to complete that particular task. Some consulting work might require more time to be spent on the phone. Therefore, you may allow an hour for phone calls and follow-up to phone calls, while you may allow just thirty minutes for reviewing reports, and an hour for billing.

And, of course, until you become well established, you have to consistently obtain work which includes prospecting, asking for referrals, dealing with no answers, and marketing. Getting paid for your work includes billing, following up on billings, and negotiating rates

Over time you want to develop the reputation as one who puts the client first; one is willing to take the extra step; one whose sincerely committed to the idea of adding value to what you do; and one is willing to make a commitment to becoming an expert in your chosen field.


 
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