Tips for Starting a Software Consulting Firm?

An Anonymous pre-Consultant asks: "I'm considering starting my own software consulting firm and was wondering if people would be interested in sharing their own experiences in trying such a thing. I've wanted to do this since 1995, and have read numerous books (Bernard Kamoroff's _Small Time Operator_, etc.). I'm fairly young, in my 20's, but have a good track record, and strong oral and written communications skills. I feel like I can make it happen but am a bit lost as to whether or not there are any specific resources for those who wish to consult as software engineers, and what strategies should be used to construct a client base. I'm not sure that my contacts are as diverse as they should be."

"My key selling points include the ability to construct complex systems relatively quickly, an iterative approach to creating the end product by means of continuous interaction with the client as milestones are reached, since I realize clients don't always know what they want until some test code has been constructed. Honesty, fixed bids, and ability to create more than just software (graphics, documentation, hardware, etc.) are also characteristics I feel makes me unique.

I have done some 'web programming' consulting as a moonlighter, but I don't really want to do just web projects. I'm not interested in trying to get rich quick, just interested in making enough to live comfortably on, without the politics and problems of the corporate America workplace. Thanks for any advice or tips!"

Comments

Unique? Gotta prove it.

[PD]

My key selling points include the ability to construct complex systems relatively quickly, an iterative approach to creating the end product by means of continuous interaction with the client

etc.

This does not make you unique. Everyone makes those claims. And most of them follow through on those claims most of the time. What would make you unique is if you could do what you promise 100% of the time. But, that's a very hard thing to do. Read the Software Engineering literature and you'll see that a huge percentage of projects fail. Most of the time it's not even for technical reasons. One of the worst situations you can get into as a consultant is to be caught between two powerful factions in a company. DOOM! DOOM!

So, my advice is this:
1) Be honest to the customer. Everyone tries to be. The hard part is being honest with yourself. If the customer is abusing you, you've got to realize it and get rid of them even if it means not eating for a week. If the customer is purposely driving the project into failure for political reasons you have no control over, you've got to admit it and get rid of them because failure will not help you succeed.
2) Don't do fixed bids if you can help it. Believe it or not, just about everyone's tried it, and those kinds of projects can be extremely painful for you. Customers can jerk you around all day because it doesn't cost them anything.
3) Politics: a fact of life. You're not going to get away from politics. In fact, you're likely to run into much more politics. At most consulting companies I've worked for, there has been a project manager AND a client manager. The client manager was in charge of kissing the client's ass, making sure that their vice Presidents ass was getting properly kissed. At smaller companies, the project manager was in charge of managing the relationship with the client.

If you get into business with a partner, realize that finding a business partner can be much more difficult than finding a wife who will love you, put up with your shit, and not cheat on you. Make sure that you put the appropriate amount of consideration into who you take on as a partner. Friends are sometimes NOT the right people to have as a business partner.

OK, that's all my advice. If I had more, I would have to charge you. (consultant joke! - you should have a rolodex full of jokes to tell your clients. Funny consultants make more money, trust me.)

A better book

[faster]

If you have a good accountant, then you don't need "Small Time Operator". Get the consulting book by Gerald Weinberg. It's expensive but WAY worth it.

Secrets of Consulting

politics ... hah!

[Mr. Foogle]

just interested in making enough to live comfortably on, without the politics and problems of the corporate America workplace.

Just a bit of advice . . . you can't get away from politics, ever. If you ignore office politics, you'll get ambushed by those that pay attention, every time. You don't have to be evil, just aware.

And another freebie . . . the problems of the corporate America(n) workplace are automatically the same as yours, trebeled. Sorry.