Greetings from PA

[TAG]

Greetings everyone. I am not completely new to this site but it has been a really long time since I was last here so I wanted to re-introduce myself. I currently work FT doing HR for a manufacturing company in PA but am looking to get into consulting. For years I have dabbled with the idea of branching out and finally working for the "fool in the mirror", well that journey starts now. I am in the early stages of setting up my consultancy. I am not jumping off the dock completely but I am pulling the boat closer to make the transition better. My plan is to continue to work at my current job and set up some side work until I feel I can leap off.

I have over 14 years of experience in HR and have worked for several different industries. It has had ups and downs and interesting stories along the way that I believe have helped shape me and mold my ideas/concepts for my own business.

I look forward to getting to know everyone on the boards and will provide insight where I can. I also look forward to the feedback and the conversations with everyone here.

[turboguy]

Welcome to the forum TAG. I am also from PA, the western part of the state. Good luck with your consulting business and I think you are smart starting off slow and letting it build. Consulting can be a good field but also can be competitive. I recall hiring a plant manager a decade or so ago and getting about 80-100 applicants with about 75% being consultants that were struggling. Still I have seen some do very well in the consulting field. Best of luck.

[cbscreative]

Welcome (or welcome back) and congrats on taking the plunge. Don't let the "struggling" nature of other consultants hinder you. I speak as an "artist" and the term starving artist is very common.

Probably the best advice I can start with is to never lose focus on problem solving. Consultants are the proverbial dime a dozen just like artists, web designers, and writers. The bigger problem you can solve, the more valuable your service. Don't be a consultant. Be the guy who can identify problems and solve them to put more money in your client's pockets. Do that and you'll be in higher demand and not be in the 75% like Ray experienced.