Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

So You Want To Be A Consultant

Posted by michael on from the billable-hours dept.

Stephen Friedl writes "I've been a self-employed consultant for almost 20 years - I still have my first customer! - and I'm asked often about the business by those who are considering it. It's not for everybody, and there are often surprises, so I've written up a Tech Tip that recounts my experiences and provides advice for the n00b. Executive summary: It's much more about customer service than it is about technical skill."

1 of 260 comments (clear)

  1. are you going to pay me? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Even if you regularly invoice at the start of every month, customers have their own schedule for paying, and this can be nerve-wracking to deal with

    I think that's the reason why I wouldn't do consulting/contracting. A friend of mine recently decided to be self employed as a consultant and the biggest problem is getting people to pay him in an orderly fashion. When you are your own business you end up putting up money for various things, and when your incomming payments start to lag, you can end up in serious trouble.