Advice for New Consultants No One Asked Me For

In this gig-style economy we all live in, I find that more people are either leaving their job to become a consultant or are side-hustling as a consultant while they have a full-time job.

Let me cut to the chase: Consultant is a 4-letter word. Don't be a consultant.

Instead, be someone people trust. It will probably take you a few years to internalize this message and the difference between this and consultant but write it down on your mirror until it sticks in your head and permeates your writing.

In consulting, there are really only two problems to solve:

1 - How to find clients consistently, while you are working on projects.

(even if the first half of this sentence is easy (it's not), the second half of this sentence is definitely not).

2 - How do you deal with lumpy revenue?

(Save your money, keep your expenses low, and smooth out how you pay yourself is my advice).

If you can solve these two problems, you will have longevity. And if you have longevity, you will need to solve higher class problems... but they will be, at least, higher class problems.

Good luck out there!