Do You Have Reservations About Starting Your Own Consulting Business?

It's no secret that I think consulting is a tremendous option for those who are seeking alternatives to work in the traditional, corporate realm. As I've written before, the corporate world has changed considerably over the last several years. The social contract that once existed between corporations and their employees no longer exists, making traditional jobs much less safe and secure than they were in the past. What this means is that the average worker can no longer find the guarantee of steady work from the corporate world. Even though it might seem more daunting to start your own business, the reality is that starting your own consulting business is one of the safest (and most potentially lucrative) career choices you can make.

Why Not Join an Established, Corporate Consulting Firm?

If traditional corporate work is no longer safe and starting your own consulting business seems too scary, going to work for an established, well-known consulting company might seem like a happy medium. Unfortunately, the issues that make traditional corporate jobs so troubling also exist within the walls of the large consulting firms.

Do you want to truly innovate and put your skills and experience to good use? You'll probably be disappointed with the opportunities presented by one of the established firms. If you're ready to make a change to your career, I believe that you need to think a little farther outside of the box. Starting your own consulting business gives you the chance to innovate and use your specific skills and talents. Certainly, the large, established firms have their place in this world, but I would recommend that you carve out your own niche if you want genuine satisfaction from your new career.

Worried About Expenses?

Starting your own consulting business is expensive, right? Sure, there are more costs involved with starting your own business than going to work for an established company, but those costs are actually minimal. Years ago, you would have had to invest a significant amount of your own money into your venture, but technology has changed everything.

If you think starting a business is too expensive, you may need to reconsider these potential costs:

• The Physical Work Environment

  It's nice to have your own office, but physical space is becoming less and less important to business. As a consultant, you'll be working globally and you'll be connecting with people and potential clients largely through the Internet. This means that you can work from virtually any location. While you may want to consider office space farther down the road, you don't need to have space to get your consulting business off the ground

• Equipment and Machines

  When you started your career, you probably worked in an office that contained tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment. Fax machines, desktop computers, printers, copiers and all manner of office machinery that were once important are mostly irrelevant today. These days, all you need to start consulting is a smartphone with some useful apps and a notebook computer. As long as you're able to connect with the Internet (which has become increasingly simple, regardless of location), you have everything you need to make things happen.

• Going Places

  Consulting is largely about connecting with people and building relationships. In the past, face-to-face meetings were difficult – and expensive – to arrange. Thankfully, you don't need to establish a massive travel budget to work as a consultant today. Your smartphone and Internet applications like Skype are all you need to make a personal, face-to-face connection. Sure, it's nice to go on the road from time to time to meet in person, but it's not nearly as necessary as it was just a few years ago.

Get Started Today

As you can see, many of the costs that once existed in the world of consulting are non existent today. You don't need to make a huge investment into your new business to get started. In fact, starting your own consulting business won't cost you much more than it would to perform a typical corporate job search. Moreover, modern technology allows you to put your business together much more quickly. If you've got the desire to be successful and the experience to drive results, starting your own consulting business is as easy (and potentially lucrative) as it's ever been.

Are you thinking about a new career? Are you worried that starting your own business will be too difficult? Ex3 Matters can help. Get started by reading Buddy Hobart's excellent eBook, “Experience Matters,” then download our free consulting guides for more terrific information to help you begin the next phase of your career.