Consulting Blog

Independent Consultant, or Unemployed Poser?

Are you an independent consultant, or an unemployed poser? Sure, you want to start a consulting business. Everyone does, these days. Full time jobs are in short supply, and you might be better off building a diverse portfolio of clients rather than putting all your eggs into a single employer basket. We all know the classic advice for investment, “diversify.” The same perhaps applies to how we invest in our own skills and careers.

But independent consulting  and freelancing shouldn’t be entered into lightly. It’s an intense, highly rewarding career for those that possess the right mindset and personality type, and a disaster for those who don’t. Consulting, while sometimes touted as a great way to fill an employment gap in your resume, requires a great deal of expertise and fortitude to be successful over the long-term. And there's more required beyond putting "Independent Consultant" on a business card. Here are a few qualities you might want to check for before you make the plunge:

Skills and experience.
If you want to be a consultant, take a realistic look at your skill set and the depth of your experience. Do you have skill, experience, or specialized knowledge that can help businesses achieve a goal or improve measurable results? You’ll be selling your clients and your own reputation short if you lack the talent required to generate results. Now is a good time to do a thorough reality check, and fearlessly evaluate what you have to bring to the table. If people are banging on your door looking for free problem solving advice, you might already be on your way.

Self-direction, discipline, and endurance.
Independent consultants must be completely self-directed, and have the staying power to carry a project through. While you are working for your clients, ultimately, they’re counting on you to know what you’re doing and how to do it; you are the expert. If you want to start a consulting business, you must have the fortitude to be completely autonomous and work without direction or supervision. It’s essential for independent contractors to possess a whatever-it-takes attitude, and be willing to follow through to provide value to your clients. Sometimes this might even involve having the guts to push through resistance on the client side if a project is stalled. And despite the glamorous associations, consulting is rarely the lap of luxury. Working for yourself means the employees (you) don’t get to play until the day’s work is done.

Entrepreneurship.
The most prosperous consultants have an entrepreneurial, competitive mindset. Consulting is big business, and unless you’re in a highly specialized niche, it’s likely that you have competition. You need to have the drive to constantly re-invent yourself and stay one step ahead of your competition. If you want to be freelance, you must become the most sought-after expert in your field. You are running a business, so repeat customers, ongoing client relationships, and word-of-mouth references are huge. The success of your clients is a key indicator of your success as a consultant.

Salesmanship.
As an independent consultant, the marketing of your business falls entirely on your shoulders. Networking and people skills are key to your success, and it’s imperative that you make yourself visible to your potential client base. That means making a significant investment of time and effort into the growth of your business, which may entail spending many hours on marketing and sales activities in addition to the time you spend working for your clients. You need to be comfortable selling yourself and the solutions you can deliver.

Establishing yourself as an independent consultant requires not only talent, but a driving force that motivates you to accept nothing less than the best for yourself, your clients, and your business. Be sure you possess the mindset required before starting up your own consulting firm.

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