Anyone working full time with a business on the side? 3

[FriscoMoves]

I was looking into opening a consulting business but I was advised by a few consultants that it will be difficult because I already have a full time job. They mentioned that most clients want their consultants during work hours which is impossible for me since I work during the day.

I was hoping to serve my clients during the evening hours and weekends, but I'm not sure if that's even realistic.

Is anyone out there working full time and have a consulting business on the side?

 

[mmorancbt]

Don't listen to anyone tell you that you cannot start this way. It is how I started and is something I recommend and have written about extensively. Additionally, I know of, and have assisted, 5 others I know directly in doing the same thing.

Be up front about your availability and create some partnerships with other consultant/contracts for emergency, during work..work.

For small businesses, you can often work this quite successfully and eventually turn this part-time work into your full-time work.

I did it for about 2 years - selected very niche projects and clients - and eventually made the break when my consulting income exceeded my pay and allowed me to buy private health-insurance.

In fact, for the independent, I wouldn't recommend doing it any other way. With me, I had one client who I did training and PC support for in the evening. Eventually, they purchased another company and brought me in 30 hours a week (on evening and weekends) until I just decided that my job was getting in the way.

Good luck!

Matthew Moran

http://www.cbtoolkit.com

 

[skiflyer]

I'm doing it too... just a couple clients which came from personal contacts slowly turning into more and more work.

It's as mmorancbt says... just be up front with your clients about your availability and hours, some will prefer it some will cringe at not being to get your for an emergency Tuesday morning at 10:30... but it's certainly not a good enough reason to avoid it.

One thing to keep in mind though, make sure you have the fortitude and free time to make an honest go of it... especially if your full time job is of similar tasks it can be a bit daunting to leave work and go to work.

 

[Rich13]

If you have an employment agreement that covers your day job, you should check to make sure that you are not violating the terms by moonlighting. If the subject matter (and clients) of your consulting practice overlap with your employer's business, you might have an issue. Don't give your employer an easy-out to cut you off from severance. Read your employment agreement. If you aren't working under a written employment agreement, check your company's HR policies. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Antelope]

I'm doing this as well. I have 4 clients that I regularly do business for after I get off of work at my full-time job. They understand that sometimes I can't get there, but they don't mind giving me the key to their office so I can work late at night. Plus, it helps build up your client list while you still have your dedicated income to rely on. That way, when it comes time to go full-time on your own, your not struggling to find that first client.

 

[Stevehewitt]

I started by leaving my old company of about 20 employees. I wrote their POS software from scratch (Access / SQL) and built the network from when the company started.
After I resigned they asked me to do some consultancy work and it's started from there.

Only got three clients, but thats enough for the moment (whilst working full time.)

Go for it!

 

[koolage]

Hello all,

would you turn down potential clients if you don't do "that kind of work"? or is it recommended that you sub-contract it out...but keep it as "your" client.

I'm thinking about starting my own as well, work full time during the day...but I know a lot of people that could do the jobs that may come up.. rather than hnding the client over, would I be better served just to "hire" one for a project and then inturn keep the client with "my company"?

just a thought...

~koolage

 

[mmorancbt]

Hmm??? It depends.

If you sub the work, you own the headache. On the other hand, if the client is large enough and lucrative enough - and you trust and have faith in the quality of the sub, I would sub it.

There are times I have turned over work to subs completely - just as a customer service type of deal - with the understanding that work that falls into my expertise would come to me.

I normally do this without contract or fanfare and have yet to be burned. But I have referred a good bit of work to those acquaintances and I don't think they want to bite the hand that feeds them.

The most important factor is what works best for the client. Clients have a way of knowing when you aren't serving their interest. In contrast, they seem to know when you do and that comes back in future calls - even if only to help them find someone else.

Doing so keeps your ear to their business so that when an opportunity comes up that you can take care of directly - or that you want to sub as part of your own consulting, you will be the first to know about it.

Just my rambling thoughts on the subject.

Matthew Moran

http://www.cbtoolkit.com

 

[GlenJohnson]

I also have a full-time job, and run my own consulting business. It's not impossible to do. Found that if I can give the quality that the big guys give, and charge a bit less, people don't mind waiting. Some of the companies here charge over $120 per HOUR! I can give support for a lot less than that, and people are more than happy to wait. True, if they have a network with 150 users that is down, they can't afford to wait. But, if they want a small wireless network setup for 3 users, they don't mind waiting to save the money. As for sub-contracting, remember one thing. The clients don't know or care that you contracted it out, so if it is not done RIGHT, all they will remember is that YOU did it. I pass these up whenever I feel I'm in over my head. I'm good at what I do, so I see know reason to make people think I can do things I can't. Go for starting the business and good luck.

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Glen A. Johnson
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[DeMann]

One thing I would recommend is to keep your full-time job and side jobs separate! I made that mistake with my last client. I gave them my phone number, asking them not to call (but why did I give it to them?). Anyway, they would call all the time! I eventually had to just ignore them.

I still gave them what they needed, but only during the time frames agreed upon in the beginning.

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