Back when my son was 15 months old, I was certain that I could no longer work full-time in an office. I dreaded the thought everyday. I was miserable. My son and I would cry at both day care drop-off and day care pick-up. It was heart-wrenching! At the time, I wanted to be able to work just a couple days out of the home (so I could get out of the house) and to be able to have the flexibility to work some hours at home. I also, needed some flexibility regarding the hours that I worked and when.
Sound familiar? I haven’t met a mom yet who wouldn’t love this kind of job.
After a few months of thinking and figuring out what I could do and talking to my boss at my current job, I realized that I could consult for the same company I was working for at the time. My boss and I made a deal where instead of being an employee, I could work for them as a consultant. My job role and priorities would change, but the best part was that my new role would be more in alignment with my passions than my current job had been. How cool is that!
Consulting and coaching are the easiest businesses to start. There is very little overhead and the learning curve is generally really small. The best thing about the definition of consulting according to the federal government is that in order to be considered a consultant you must have the option to choose when, where and how you work.
Most consultants start out by consulting in a field that they already have learned at previous jobs. This makes it easy to just update your skills a little, learn a little about networking and marketing, and get started on finding your first client.
As you know by reading my other material, the key things I would mention to you are to make sure that what you are consulting clients on is something that you are passionate about. Make sure it is something that gets you going. Otherwise, it’s just another chore, and as mothers, we all have enough of those.
