Getting Started as an “Independent”

Before billing for your expertise, there are some things that must be done. Being an “Independent” also means being a business owner. To successfully manage your business you need to protect and market yourself. These foundational requirements of running your own business include tasks such as:

Legal Protections

1. Incorporating as a sole proprietorship or partnership, or LLC.

2. Understanding of the tax implications of owning a business.

3. Having confidence in your ability to sign contracts that ensure your scope of work is clear and you will be paid on time.

4. Professional Liability insurance, although consulting is one of the lowest risk services that can be provided, it is prudent to ensure you and your assets are protected.

Marketing

1. Establish a digital presence by securing a custom made website.

2. A back end Information Technology suite including customized email, office productivity software, cloud storage, etc.

3. Having a “virtual” mailbox which allows you to collect physical mail without providing your personal address.

These foundational tasks can take hundreds of hours over many months to complete. For those that want to get started without having to perform all of this back end office work, we at AE offer tailored solutions that allow you to get started in consulting immediately. Contact us today for a free consultation.