Recently, it seems that both techies and non-techies have been really interested in the pros and cons of starting their own businesses and working on their own. With all of the economic issues and uncertainty in the U.S., it’s to be expected. In fact, at one point, I thought about creating a blog focused on tips and advice for those that are considering working independently in IT and other industries. It somehow fell lower on the list of priorities (making an article on time management and prioritization a good candidate for an ironic first posting). Of course, there are numerous online resources that are provide some really good information for people that are thinking of “taking the plunge” (or for those that are already knee-deep in it).
Struggling Entrepreneur is one such site, and it has recently re-published a CS TechCast interview that I recorded a few months ago. You can access podcast 67 – Freelance Entrepreneur as IT Consultant and Author for free online. Here’s an excerpt from the introduction:
When you have the technical skills, knowledge, abilities and experience in the ever-changing world of IT, you may have the burning desire to branch out on your own and establish your own services firm in the form of being an IT consultant–either as a specialist or generalist.
But the key questions you may have may leave you pondering:
– Do you specialize or diversify?
– What about keeping your skills up to date?
– How do you ride through the slow times during IT “peaks and valleys” of IT projects and engagements with clients?
– What about the administrative burden of running your own IT consultancy (e.g., taxes, accounting, sales, marketing, promotion, etc.)?
Hear what a successful IT consultant has done in order to stay ahead of the IT technical curve and yet keep loyal customers and accept exciting and key engagements focusing on state-of-the-art IT technologies.
Check out the full podcast and also all of the other great content on Struggling Entrepreneur. I’m also recording a new interview with Fred Castaneda tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it and will post a link when it’s available. Stay tuned!
