Should You Become An Independent Consultant?

There are many reasons to want to work as an independent. For many professionals, it is an opportunity to work for themselves rather than have to constantly report to an employer. They can make use of their expertise to take on more challenging work that requires them to think creatively. This tends to provide more job satisfaction rather than have to carry out mundane and repetitive work.

What is an independent consultant?

Independent consultants are business professionals with specific skillsets that they use to better organizations that contract them. They join organizations for brief periods to work on achieving certain goals. Generally, consultants will work on enhancing the positive attributes of the business and changing or eliminating the negative aspects. They tend to work in areas of the business they have expertise in through training and experience.

Why Do People Become Independent Consultants?

It can be a good career move for those that lose their jobs due to issues like downsizing. The greater flexibility can also provide a chance to try out new fields. For instance, an IT consultant that has only worked in banks can test his capability in other fields like fashion and law.

Why Organizations Need Independent Consultants?

For businesses, many situations may require them to call upon consultants for help. Sometimes they may be faced due to highly specialized problems. Rather than hire a full-time staff, they can engage a consultant to step in and resolve the issue at a fraction of the cost. Many small and medium enterprises can save considerably on employee salaries, benefits, and payroll taxes this way.

Bringing in an outsider also means getting a more objective view of the problem. Sometimes being too close to the problem hinders people from seeking solutions. Consultants can join the business temporarily, provide expertise and needed knowledge, and then move on. In some cases, the expertise may be very rare and costly. This means businesses have to make do with the few floating qualified professionals that are available on a short-term basis.

Why You Should Consider Becoming An Independent Consultant?

Why become a consultant? This career move offers several lucrative benefits. First is the independence itself. You no longer have to report to or rely on an employer. You have greater control over what work you choose to do and even the schedule. You can work remotely at whatever hours you want as long as you achieve deliverables. Even if working on-site, you can negotiate your schedule with the client.

As you are the one setting your own fees and expenses, you also have greater control over your earning potential and can make your own decisions concerning retirement planning. Working briefly with client’s means you also get to avoid much of the office politics and do not have to adapt to the work culture in so far as it does not interfere with your ability to work effectively.

Challenges of working as an independent consultant

• Difficulty Finding New Projects

As an independent consultant you need to have new projects frequently in order to stay in business. Independent consultants work on project basis and their job is finished once the project is completed. Many consultants face a challenge of finding new projects all year round. So finding innovative ways of proactively looking for new work becomes a necessity for stability and growth.

Signup with an online consulting platform like iAgility. Such platforms make it easier to find and connect with potential clients that need independent consultants with your skills. It is an easy process that opens you up to great opportunities without placing carrying the burden of finding clients or marketing yourself.

• Isolation

Choosing to go it alone often means you leave behind the support network that those working in office settings enjoy. Trying to nurture a client list can be difficult, especially when you are everything rolled into one. Signing up with iAgility not only makes it easier to make connections with clients but also fellow professionals that you can collaborate with and even get referrals. The iAgility team and consulting community provide a supportive environment in which independents can thrive.

• Not Meeting Income Goals

Just like with any other independent business, your financial success will depend on how much work you put in and the decisions you make. From how you draft proposals to the skills you acquire, it is important to do the necessary research to see what moves can prove profitable for you. Discussions with fellow consultants and the support team at iAgility can help you get ideas on how to achieve your financial goals.

• Having To Do Everything Yourself

As said, iAgility gives the opportunity to connect with and mingle with other consultants from various fields. Depending on the project you are working on, you can easily get support and even work with them to achieve the perfect consulting experience. IAgility reps can also help you to create the perfect portfolio to showcase your skills and experience.

Conclusion

Online consulting has gained much traction and is set to become a permanent fixture in the consulting space. It has made it easier for businesses to gain access to the expertise they need, especially in facing new and complex technological challenges like big data analysis, agility, and digital transformations.

Now, thanks to consulting platforms like iAgility, businesses and independent consultants can be pre-screened and matched according to their expertise and type of project. The platform also facilitates administrative work like drafting contracts, tracking project deliverables, and even billing. This way businesses and consultants can focus on the task at hand.