There are risks in leaving the security of a 9 to 5 job and taking the plunge to become a consultant:
- You may lack the profile to stand out and be noticed?
- You may lack the credibility to attract customers
- You may feel lonely and unsupported
- You may go through sleepless nights
- Your financial reserves may not be big enough to funds your startup period
- After all your effort your business may fail.
Want to reduce these risks? Check out GoConsult.nz – The Jungle Pathfinder for New Consultants
Bruce Holland’s experience
In 1992 I went consulting. In some ways I was qualified for the role and in others woefully unqualified.
I had over 20 years experience working in large private sector corporates mainly in financial and strategy roles. However, I had limited experience in the two areas where I wanted to specialise: people (liberating human energy) and leadership.
I knew about the private sector but had no experience in the public sector or local government. This was an issue because I lived in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand where most opportunities were in government.
Finally, I had never run a business of my own.
Your risks may be quite different but I bet your fears are similar:
- I had a great salary and conditions and no idea whether I would be able to replace them
- I had never been a consultant and did not know if I had what it took
- I had always worked in large corporates and never worked by myself
- I had lots of ideas but no real products to sell
- My brand was good inside my company but weak outside
- I was concerned about selling myself, especially cold calls
- I had no idea where my first job would come from or how much to charge.
The risks are real. I just wish I had a mentor like GoConsult.nz to help me get going.