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Are You Cut Out To Be A Consultant? | |
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SoHo NEWS & TIPS
Helping You Make the Most of Your Small Office/Home Office
SoHoTIPS.com
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Greetings,
Do you have what it takes to be a consultant? Today's issue
offers questions to ask yourself before becoming a free
agent. If you think you are cut out for the job, you might
be in for an attractive compensation and flexible hours.
Best,
Mandi
Be sure to visit the SoHo News and Tips blog!
SoHo News & Tips Blog
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NEWS & TIDBITS
- Former Enron execs Lay and Skilling have been
found guilty -- Lay on all counts against him, and
Skilling, 20 of the 28 accounts against him...
- SAP has agreed to buy Frictionless Commerce for
their e-sourcing product...
- Pilots at Delta Air Lines Inc. have approved a
new contract with the carrier...
- Independent power producer NRG Energy Inc.
rejects Mirant Corp's $8 billion takeover bid...
- Two east coast-based buyout firms, Thomas H. Lee
Partners and Quadrangle, agreed to buy Omaha-based
West Corp, a leading outsourced telecommunications
software and services provider, for $4.1bn
including debt...
- Toyota Motor plans to begin a global voluntary
recall of nearly 320,000 of its Prius gasoline-
electric hybrid sedans to repair a potentially
faulty steering system component...
- GM Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner picks
Troy Clarke as president of GM North America...
- Standard Life Assurance Co. members voted to
convert Europe's biggest customer-owned insurer
to a public company...
GopherCentral's Question of the Week
Do you think Condi Rice should run for President in 2008?
Question of the Week
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Are You Cut Out To Be a Consultant?
By ANDREA COOMBES From MarketWatch
Now's a good time to jump into self-employment as
an independent consultant -- at least for some
professions.
In the continuing effort to comply with laws such
as Sarbanes-Oxley and the health-privacy act known
as HIPAA, companies increasingly turn to
independent contractors. Plus, companies now see
independent pros as a way to fill in talent gaps
in their own organizations.
Some companies hire a consultant to get a project
off the ground, and then turn over the project's
maintenance to in-house employees.
Companies are "buying talent for special projects,"
says Robert Morgan, chief operating officer of
Hudson Talent Management, a unit of Hudson Highland
Group, a recruiting and consulting firm in New York.
Mr. Morgan, who is based in Chicago, says: "We've
seen a growth in independent professionals... in
finance and accounting, in legal, in human
resources."
Why do workers choose to go this route? While one-
third of finance professionals say a flexible
schedule is the main appeal of a consulting career,
27% say attractive compensation is the top lure,
up from 13% who said this in 2000, according to a
recent survey for Robert Half Management Resources.
"Demand is high; therefore consultants are command-
ing higher pay," says Paul McDonald, executive
director of the operation, which is a division of
Robert Half International, the staffing company in
Menlo Park, Calif.
Hot Jobs
Accountants, finance experts and information
technology pros are in high demand, experts say.
Also, company boards of directors are seeking
independent consultants for advice on compensation
practices, market research and business strategies,
says Stephen Mader, a Boston-based vice chairman at
Christian & Timbers, an executive search firm in
New York.
Continued below....
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Meanwhile, U.S. firms are struggling to fill
positions for sales representatives, engineers,
health-care specialists, information technologists
and accountants, according to a recent survey of
1,300 companies by Manpower, the staffing firm in
Milwaukee.
And computer programmers, Web site developers and
graphic designers are much sought after at
Guru.com, says Inder Guglani, chief executive
officer at the company, which connects freelancers
with companies.
Still, contract work is not for everyone. While
many independent pros embrace setting their own
hours and choosing which projects to accept, they
also point to downsides such as erratic paychecks
and lack of paid vacation, according to a Hudson
survey of independent contractors last year.
For some, steep health-care costs kill the deal.
Time to Jump?
Consider the following questions before making the
jump to free agent:
* Are the skills you possess in demand, and do you
have the experience companies will seek?
Professionals with, say, more than five to seven
years' experience are in greater demand, experts say.
* Can you handle erratic paychecks?
* How will you pay for health insurance and your
retirement?
* Are you able to market yourself, even as you
work on projects?
* Can you pay for the liability insurance some
companies may require?
* Do you have financial security for soft spells?
* Do you like working independently? "It may sound
really interesting and fun to set your own direct-
ion," says Mr. Morgan, "but you may be miserable
doing that."
DID YOU KNOW?
Successful Small Business Owners Clean out the Clutter
Regularly: You will save yourself heaps of time, energy and
money if you clear out your work and home environment...
paperwork, books, old equipment etc. You'll be able to find
things, save money because you won't have to buy what you
already have hidden somewhere, plus you'll be less stressed.
Organize your office and your small business premises
regularly...keep the clutter out. Eliminating clutter will
help you to avoid procrastination. It's too easy to avoid
getting things done if you are overwhelmed with clutter.
So what did you think about this issue? Drop me a line and let
me know at mailto:mandi@gophercentral.com
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