Why Be A Consultant?
by Linda Banks

People become consultants for many different reasons. Some literally fall into consultant work when they have no other options – others retire from the corporate world, but don't really want to retire from work..and still others decide to become a consultant on purpose.

Any regular person can become a consultant if he has the experience, knowledge or skills within a certain industry, an ability to sell their work, and good people skills. Above all else, there has to be an impetus within one’s own life to make the start into consultancy. These reasons can include the following:

A desire to work
Some very successful consultants started their consulting career after retiring from somewhere else. Yet - they still believe they have something very important to contribute to society and want to remain active in the work force. Air Force Veteran John Sullivant was one such individual. He retired after 25 years serving in the military and has been a very successful consultant with more than 20 years on his own.

Other consultants may have started their own business because they were laid off or the company they worked for went out of business. Whatever the reason, many consultants simply can’t stand the thought of getting up every morning without something beneficial to do.

Helping others
Some individuals understand just how vast their knowledge is and want to contribute to other’s successes. Marsha Marinich has been the owner of two separate consulting businesses, the first lasting more than 20 years. Her rationale for starting a second business and staying in the consulting game is that she understands how much the business landscape is changing and wants to be part of other businesses successes.

Part of what makes an individual a good consultant is the ability to see themselves as contributors in their customer’s success and then being able to back out again when their skills are no longer needed. This means an ability to remain a separate entity while collaborating for the term of the project.

Be your own boss
Many consultants have their own vision, which can vary greatly from the vision a corporate boss might have for them. For this reason or simply because of a natural desire, many consultants simply want to be in charge of their own career.

For many consultants, not only is the sky the limit but they are also the person who gets to define what success means to them. There are no other bosses stating that success means double-digit growth, a 50% increase in sales or a new acquisition. Each consultant can define what success means to them – some create this definition as being able to pay the bills and others may define it as gaining five new customers.

Wanting different challenges
David Duda states it best: “I’m a little bit of a gypsy at heart.” Not everyone wants to go in to work every day and do the same thing for the same customer in the same manner. Some people like the challenges new customers may bring and enjoy finding those projects that are simply the right fit for their own skills.

Successful consultants also say that it’s no shame to bow out of a project if it’s not going to be beneficial to them or their ability to meet their goals. And – if a consultant wants different and unique challenges, then turning some projects down because they don’t meet this goal is OK. Remember..you're the boss!