Overview
What is consulting, contracting, and freelancing?
While there are many similarities between the three, the differences between consultants, contractors and freelancers can vary greatly. According to the Alliance of Professional Consultants, a consultant is an individual who possesses expertise in a specific field. Consultants are hired to provide an unbiased opinion and professional advice for the exclusive benefit of the client. Common areas of consulting include accounting, environmental concerns, technology, human resources, engineering, and design. Contractors, on the other hand, are hired to perform a specific task or activity. Put simply, consultants assess a situation and advise, whereas contractors perform the activities as directed. In addition to these types of independent professionals, people can also sell their services as a freelancer. Freelancers engage in a profession and sell their work or services by the hour, day, or job, with no intention of pursuing a permanent or long-term arrangement with a single employer.
Benefits
As the economy slows, there are fewer full-time salary positions being created and even more positions being cut. However, in spite of having fewer employees, companies still need to continue to perform at a high level. A growing need for consultants and contractors is emerging as companies continue to operate at lower costs. Today’s technology makes it is easy for independent professionals to advertise their services online. One such way of advertising is through Sologig.com, a leading niche community helping connect top consultants and contractors with quality employers looking to fill open positions quickly with qualified candidates.
Before you start:
- Decide why you want to work independently. What is your aim? What kind of work do you want to do? Niche job boards make it simple for independent professionals to search projects by location, specific skill sets, and company.
- Map out how you will find work. Friends and current contacts are a great place to begin, but chances are you will not be able to make a living providing your services solely to them. Take advantage of free online resources to advertise your skills and find projects that pique your interest.
- Decide how much you want to work. Make sure you keep regular hours and allot for the time you plan to take off for holidays.
Getting started:
The first and most exciting thing to do is find projects. Searching for them is made simple with online resources like Sologig.com. The site is free to use, so it is easy to get started quickly. Get organized with these quick tips and start scheduling projects today.
Tips:
- Make sure you log how much time you will spend working on each project.
- Keep a schedule of when you are doing projects and how long each of them will take.
- Try not to book too far in advance as it is easy for clients to put off future projects to focus on current needs.
- Keep continuous communication with your clients. Be proactive with every client and let them know of your progress and any updates as you work to complete their project.
- After you have finished a project, do not forget to keep in contact with the employer as past clients can be great references and networking tools when trying to land a future work.
Hints about the profession:
- Unless you hire an accountant, do not forget that you will be your own accounting department. Make sure you keep all records together in a safe place and accurately document the following for every client and project:
- Income
- Expenses (date, reference number, company/shop, item, cost)
- Details about invoices (due date, date paid, reference number, client name, project, aount charged, amount put aside for tax)
- Taxes - Do not get stuck in a rut. If you stay in the same area of work for a long time, you may only be offered that type of work in the future.
- Try branching out and pursuing other areas of work you enjoy. There are lots of new and exciting projects employers are looking to have completed.
- Work for various companies. Each company you work for will be different, and you will gain valuable insight that will be useful as you continue your career as an independent professional.
- Make sure you set aside time every once in a while to review your situation. Are you happy with the direction of your projects? What changes can you make to better your situation?
- Do not forget to set aside time to read, play, and meet new people.
You are ready
Working as an independent professional is rewarding and can be very exciting. Becoming an independent professional will allow you to broaden your work experiences, learn new skills and work for a variety of interesting employers. The opportunity to choose between short term projects and long term assignments lets you stay flexible and set your own schedule (and if you can stay organized you will be off to an excellent start). The need for independent talent has grown significantly over the past few years and will continue to grow, making it an ideal time to begin your career as an independent professional. Take advantage of niche job boards like Sologig.com to get started fast.
