Are you getting tired of sitting on that fence? You know, the one between your corporate job and your wish to be independent. Here is a list that will help you determine if you’ve got the right stuff to be an independent coach or consultant.
Here’s our Top 10 List on why you should pull the trigger and ditch the corporate life:
Number 10: Your boss sucks. Corporate life offers some advantages like a steady salary and benefits package, but is all of that worth it when you work for someone who is consistently stealing credit for your hard work or never satisfied with your efforts?
Number 9: You want to make your own hours. Is the perceived safety of corporate life worth being at someone else’s beck and call? You’re expected to drop everything and travel to Boise when the boss says so, but you have to beg, borrow, and steal for an early exit on a holiday weekend to spend much needed time with your family.
Number 8: You need a new view. You are chained to the same desk day after day, year after year, with no hope of seeing anything except the same cubicle wall. There’s a great big world out there … isn’t it time you started to choose where you spend your working hours?
Number 7: You want to work on what excites you. You’re currently spending hours toiling over projects that have no meaning for you. Being the conscientious person you are, you knock it out of the park anyway, the company gets millions in revenue, and you get zero recognition let alone additional compensation. Isn’t it time you choose your own projects and reap your own rewards?
Number 6: You’re incredibly curious. Questions come naturally to you … hence you question everything. Challenging the status quo is one of your personal strengths and the best way to challenge that ‘ole quo is to question it over and over and over again.
Number 5: You like watching light bulbs turn on. Helping others achieve success excites you like nothing else. Having someone else benefit from your years of experience is so natural to you it’s something you do without conscious thought. It just happens.
Number 4: You want to work in your underwear. Maybe you’re over the suit and tie routine, or if your workplace has adopted business casual maybe it’s not casual enough for you. As a coach, you can work over the phone and clients don’t know you’re sitting behind your desk in your best PJs.
Number 3: You like bagels. If you’re doing your job right, you’re having lots of meetings and meetings = food. Breakfast and lunch meetings abound in the coaching and consulting world, so you’ll benefit from developing an intake plan for carb-rich foods. Since you can plan your own schedule (see Number 9), you may want to add in a good workout routine.
Number 2: You know the best coffee shops. This one’s kind of related to Number 3. You’ll be spending some time on the road and like my Daddy taught me, “If you’re not 10 minutes early, you’re late. So, know where you can spend a half hour while waiting between appointments.
And the Number 1 reason you should be an independent coach or consultant? You want to leave your own legacy. Working in the corporate arena means you’re in essence helping the owner of your company achieve his/her dream. Isn’t it time you started working on your own?
For more information determining if the independent life is for you, read our e-book 22.5 Consulting Insights.
