In honor of Independence Day, a few words about independence. Many independent contractors will identify with Michele Williams: "I was born with a fierce need for independence." Some of us simply want to make it on our own. Certainly, we work in teams and rely on partnerships and the help of colleagues, but we have independent souls. I describe it as having the heart of a consultant“ the desire to be on your own, to have all the pressure of your success or failure on your own shoulders. I share Susan B. Anthony's feelings: "Independence is happiness."

Even with the heart of a consultant, it can be a gut-wrenching decision to throw caution to the wind, abandon the relative comfort of the corporate structure, and venture out on your own. When I made the decision to go it alone, it was not without some angst. However, I had built up a pretty strong network thanks to Linked In, APMP, and the fact that I had been running a proposal shop that hired many consultants to help with surge needs. Learning how the consulting world worked from the perspective of someone who hired consultants was very helpful. Here are some lessons I have learned as my business was starting and as it has evolved:

  • Have a cushion in your bank account. Even if you have a consulting gig lined up for an immediate start, payment on that gig won't come for 60-90 days depending on several factors like, the payment terms your placement firm has with their client, the invoice cycle (e.g., weekly, bi-weekly, monthly), and the relative viability of your placement firm or client (i.e., will they pay on time). Ideally, you will have a direct connection with your client and can negotiate net30 terms, which should bridge the paycheck gap. Having a cushion also helps when you experience a business slowdown (see my post from November 15, 2013: https://perfblue.com/blog.php?a=view&id=5).
  • Don't ever stop marketing. Deals come and go. Clients make no-bid decisions on gigs that you have accepted. The government delays solicitation release dates. You must always keep your pipeline fresh and your client list up to date on your availability. I use a two-month cycle for making contact with both active and inactive clients. It's important to stay fresh in their minds so they think of you when they have surge needs or for any other need for outside help.
  • Use social media. I'm barely a novice in this area, but I do have and use Linked In and Twitter, and I have a website. These are important ways to keep your name out there. I also publish this blog about every 45 days, which I also publicized on Linked In and Twitter. Linked In also has a relatively new publish feature, which allows you to post your own thoughts. I use it to publish my blog posts. The point is to stay active and open to new clients.

Are we like the pioneers who, through their own independence, forged a new country? Not really, but we are of a like mind; we do share the desire to carve our own path. I applaud the successful independent contractors out there. Kudos!

If you would like to discuss this in more detail, please contact me on info@perfblue.com. Thanks!

Attribution

"Independence is happiness." - Susan B. Anthony

"I was born with a fierce need for independence." - Michele Williams

About the Author

Drew Cotterman is the Founder and President of performanceBLUE, LLC, a professional capture management and proposal development firm. He founded the firm in 2010 after working in the proposal world for more than 20 years. He provides capture support; proposal development including management, writing, pricing, graphics, desktop publishing, and production support; process training; and employee mentoring.