How (and Why) to Become an Independent Consultant

Maybe you’ve been working in your industry forever, or perhaps you’re relatively new to your field but have discovered that you’ve got quite a knack for making things better. Either way, you might have heard the term "independent consultant" kicked around and wondered whether or not this career move is for you.

Before you march into your boss’s office with your letter of resignation in hand, let’s take a closer look at what an independent consultant is, the benefits and drawbacks of becoming one, the expected salary, and what you need to be successful.

Independent consultants can work in any field, using their backgrounds and considerable know-how to shed light on any gaps or deficiencies in a company's operations. The position is often conflated with another one known as an "independent contractor." Let's take a look at the similarities and differences between those two roles.

有什么区别：独立承包商与顾问

As the number of self-employed Americans grows, the titles used to describe their scope of work have become blurred. While the terms "independent contractor" and "independent consultant" are often used interchangeably, they perform different roles for their clients.

独立承包商是指任何向客户提供服务的非雇员的法律术语 - 因此，在某些方面，独立顾问是technicallya type of independent contractor.

但是，独立顾问扮演更多的咨询角色 - 提供洞察力来指导客户的业务决策，制定新的策略，为潜在的变化提供信息，并确定公司应放弃的无效过程和程序。bob全站app

An independent contractor's role is much more involved. These professionals perform concrete, more tangible work. Rather than evaluating the client’s needs and then stepping away from the situation, they're hands-on — using their expertise or skills to actively accomplish tasks on behalf of the companies they serve.

Why Become an Independent Consultant

当您切换齿轮并进入生活中的新努力时，找出为什么别人发现自己被您追求的角色所吸引，这通常是有帮助的。实际上，有人可能决定放弃当前的专业职责并成为独立顾问的原因有很多。让我们看一些常见的人，看看它们是否与您产生共鸣。

1. You feel like something is "missing".

You could enjoy your job and make a good living at it — but it might not seem fulfilling enough. Sometimes, feeling like you're not realizing your full potential is troubling enough to make you want something new. In that case, pursuing a career as an independent consultant could be a solid avenue to get more out of your professional life.

2. You want to have control over your professional life.

在让您的雇主决定您的日程安排，工作时间和休假时间（为别人工作）通常会限制您的个人和专业自由。如果您在决定如何，何时和为什么工作时想要更多的余地和自由，那么独立咨询的职业可能是理想的选择。

3.您想要更多的增长和赚钱潜力。

如果你在一个高级角色now, you're likely making enough to live more than comfortably. But that kind of compensation still has a hard ceiling — as an independent consultant, you have the flexibility and potential to break through that limit.

There's no set income limit with these kinds of roles. You don't have to settle into a role with restricted upward mobility or get caught in an“在墙上的另一块砖”mentality.

独立顾问有更多的专业发展空间和无限制的收入潜力。如果那个空间较少的职业生涯和财务增长听起来很吸引人，那么独立咨询的职业就值得探索。

4. You were laid off.

It happens to the best of us. Maybe, your company hit a rough patch. Maybe, you struggled to meet quarterly expectations. Maybe, your department was demolished. One way or another, layoffs happen — but that's not always the worst thing in the world.

In some cases, being let go gives you the ability and incentive to pursue something bigger. Becoming an independent consultant is one of the better, more straightforward ways to bring that "something bigger" to life.

5. You've always wanted to start a business.

It’s difficult to squash the entrepreneurial bug when it bites. If you feel you have the knowledge, determination, skill set, and organizational acumen to assume and overcome the challenges that come with going into business alone, you might want to consider a career in independent consulting.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Being an Independent Consultant

Is becoming an independent consultant a wise career move for you? Take a look at these benefits and drawbacks and consider whether you’re willing to take a chance.

Drawback: You'll have to deal with steep initial startup costs.

If you’ve been considering entrepreneurship for some time now, odds are you've done your research — and there's a good chance your findings have your head spinning. A lot of time, effort, and money can go into going out on your own.

为the sake of reference, let's consider the overhead of opening a restaurant. Before you ever serve your first customer, you’ll have to:

• Find a building to rent or buy.
• Hire a chef, waitstaff, and cleaning crew.
• Find a supplier and purchase ingredients.
• Buy furniture, plates, cookware, and decor.

That’s thousands of dollars of outlay before you’ll ever see a penny. As an independent consultant, you need a business license and a phone — along with a host of other costs to get your business off the ground. If you want to pursue a career in independent consulting, you need to be prepared to put up some serious cash.

Benefit: Your potential income is uncapped.

As an employee, you’ll never make more than your boss is willing to pay you. While you may see bonuses for a job well done — or receive commission if you're in sales — your company still dictates your income ceiling. As an independent consultant, you set your rates, choose how many clients you’d like to work with, and ultimately decide how much you’d like to make.

Drawback: That "uncapped potential" won't come soon or easily.

Sure, you can make as much money as you want, but that won't happen right off the bat. You’ll likely spend that first year establishing your business, getting your name out there, and ironing out any hitches and growing pains that might be holding you back.

您可能会过着体面的生活，但是如果您在目前的工作中留下健康的薪水，则可能需要一段时间才能接近这个数字。做好准备，并确保您的储蓄帐户足够满，可以在头几年浮动您。

如果您已经是领域的知名专家，拥有建立的联系基础，那么您可能会有一个健康的潜在客户与您合作，但不要对此进行依靠。就此而言，准备是关键。

好处：灵活性和自由

If you’re tired of clocking in for five eight-plus hour workdays every week and sitting in an uncomfortable cubicle or commuting to work in bumper-to-bumper traffic, you’ll love the flexibility and freedom that being an independent consultant provides.

您可以工作所需的时间，在家或创建的舒适办公室工作，并安排自己的假期和休息日。您确实是您自己的老板 - 如果您想要这种自治，独立咨询可能适合您。

Drawback: No More Security

全职工作在您的生活中提供了一定程度的确定性 - 定期薪水，诸如健康保险，休假时间以及其他几个保障措施，这些保障措施为您的职业生活结构和安全网提供。

作为一名独立顾问，您确实是自己的。您需要提供自己的保险，假期预算，并确保每月做足够的时间来支付专业和个人账单。

A Little Bit of Both: You'll Have to Hustle

客户不会辍学。您可能需要与您现有的联系人联系，网络以结识新的联系人，并以思想领导内容的形式将您的专业知识放在那里。如果您不忙碌，您将不会吸引客户。如果您没有获得客户，您将不会长期成为独立顾问。

But in some ways, this point is a plus. Taking on these challenges and working hard can be extremely gratifying. Rolling up your sleeves and making it all happen for yourself, by yourself can be a major boost to your self-esteem and accelerate your professional development. Life as an independent consultant is a grind — but all that grinding can make you a better person and make your life that much more fulfilling.

一个独立的顾问让多少钱?

When you work for someone else, you are generally paid by the hour or salaried — which often means you're working more hours than you should. As an independent consultant, you have the choice of charging by the hour, by the project, or by retainer.

那么，您实际上可以赚多少钱？

当然，答案是“as much as you can”but there are a lot of factors involved. These include:

• Where do you live and work?
• What type of industry are you consulting in?
• How much experience do you have in your industry?
• Do you have a specific education, certifications, or skills?
• How much are you willing to work for?
• 您的客户愿意支付多少？
• And finally … what does the average consultant make?

The根据salary.com的中间独立顾问工资为$ 88,476(in California) as of July 2021. The range generally falls between $65,025 and $109,573 — a sizable range because of all the factors that can affect it. Ultimately, it will come down to what works for your specific situation.

如何成为独立顾问

成功的独立咨询是一种艺术形式，老实说，并不是每个人都在这个职业中被削减。要成功并建立蓬勃发展和持久的咨询业务，您必须是：

1. Be willing to hustle.

Yes, we said it before but it bears repeating. If you aren’t willing to put yourself out there and go after your dreams, you’ll constantly struggle to bring in clients.

2. Be confident in your experience and accomplishments.

这不仅意味着您需要自信 - 这意味着您实际上必须擅长您的工作。您需要一个可靠的结果记录。

3. Develop and demonstrate organizational skills and patience.

你需要能够建立自己的业务or afford the experts that can help you — and treat your independent consulting careers as a business despite the relatively low start-up costs and overhead. Remember that you won’t get rich overnight. Stick with it and you will begin to see the rewards.

4.为您的服务创建一个利基市场。

There are a lot of consultants in the world, and you need to know and communicate what makes you different and worth your fee. Look at your experience and what you are passionate about. Somewhere in the middle lies your niche.

保证looked into the top 12 in-demand consultant jobs based on search demand and found that IT consultants, marketing consultants, financial consultants, HR consultants, legal nurse consultants, management consultants, tax consultants, social media consultants, leasing consultants, education consultants, small business consultants, and security consultants to be the most popular. That being said, follow your expertise, not the market trends.

5. Understand who you can help.

As important as it is to know whoyou are, it’s also important to know who your理想的客户是。What problems are they having? How big is their business? What keeps them up at night? Understanding them will help you attract clients more easily and deliver results.

Becoming an independent consultant in your field of expertise can be an excellent move whether you are at the height of your career or have retired and are looking to fill some time and pad your retirement income.

Doing your homework before you make things official will help create a smoother transition into entrepreneurship and help increase your chances of success. Now go ahead, your future clients are waiting for you.