Independant consultants

cdad2000

Where to turn to, but the pros??

I'm looking to become an independent consultant by ditching my agency. What are the pros/cons of venturing out solo?


Thanks, cheers

skrpune

Wow, loaded question! Some of the pro's can be considered con's depending on your perspective. Here's just a few pros & cons that come to mind...

PROS:
- you're the boss.
- you keep all the hourly fees for yourself.
- you get to set the rules.
- you get to set your own schedule.


CONS:
- you're the boss. There's no one else to blame/call when sh*t goes wrong.
- you have to pay for all the costs out of your own pocket & hope you can get a sweet deal come tax time with business deductions...but you have to float costs until then.
- you have to enforce all the rules. Sounds like fun, but not so much when you're the boss, human resources department, complaint department, accounting department...
- you are the only one to cover work calls, so while you get all the money, unless you hire someone to help you & take on employees, you run the risk of being swamped..and also the risk of getting no calls at all & no business income.


Those are just a few that I could think of off the top of my head. I'm sure someone else who's been a consultant for longer (I only did it for a few months and not in a traditional tech capacity) could offer more sound advice.