Monday, August 21, 2017

Freelancing and Consulting Careers

There are so many things about which to think when deciding on a freelancing/consulting career. This post will dive into consulting. Some questions you need to ask are: can I afford it, how much do I charge, is there a market for my skillset, what about taxes, can I afford healthcare, and what are my financial responsibilities (family, home, loans, etc.). It's a big step but I recommend that you spend at least a year figuring out all the obstacles and benefits.

Here are a few of my tips:

How much do I charge?
I had no idea on how much I was to charge for my services. I am in the engineering field of construction so after I told my boss that I was quitting, I then asked him how much I should charge as a consultant. He laughed about that because he knew that I was hoping to be a consultant for him. He said that most consultants will charge 1.75% of their hourly wage because of taxes, healthcare and other benefits. That seemed reasonable to me but also seemed kind of pricey for just starting out. I lowered my rate and, so far, companies are content.

Along with a wage, you can charge for car mileage, copies, and all other reimbursable expenses.

Is there a market for my skillset?
This is very important because your income will be totally dependent on your selected market. In my construction career, I built a very positive reputation among a large construction "family." Plus, there are not very many people who do what I do so I knew that my skills were in demand. I knew that I would be able to make a comfortable income almost immediately while, at the same, building up more clientele.

What about taxes?
This is a big question. I am a sole proprietor with an EIN number. I have a dedicated room at my house as my office and I have no employees. I had to search for information on Google and found some great articles on home-based businesses. You can do a Google search too but this article was very helpful. It is crucial that you find out as much information as possible on this subject.

Conclusion:
These are just a few things about which to think before setting off on a consulting adventure. Next week, I'll dive into a great accounting program that is free, online, and cloud-based.

This week's part-time freelance jobs:
Customer Service & B2B Sales

Full-Time Remote Jobs (so many to list so I’ll just give you the link)

Click Here for full-time remote jobs



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