From the course: 43 Ideas for Starting a Side Business

Become a consultant

From the course: 43 Ideas for Starting a Side Business

Start my 1-month free trial

Become a consultant

“

- One of the most overlooked businesses is the simple process of becoming a consultant. What many people don't realize is that they already have a skill they can use to start selling services by consulting to businesses and individuals with something that they already know really well. The basic idea is this. People pay you for knowledge, and you probably have some knowledge that others are willing to pay for. That might be an expertise from your day job, or it might be something that you've developed outside of work. In fact, taking what you do at work and building that into a business is often the easiest way to leave your job and have a low-risk business that's right under your nose. To get started, identify your superpower. What is it that you know that others might be willing to pay you for? Look for others who are already doing it, and use that to gauge your value, describe your services, and set your price. You'll then start holding yourself out as a consultant with that expertise and charge hourly or charge a fixed monthly fee for a block of your time. It might be a really narrow niche, but there's still value. Take that skill that you gained in your day job, and use that to get paid by companies to learn what you know. You can make anywhere from 500 to $10,000 per month as a consultant, and I've known people who do even better. I've got a great course on LinkedIn Learning called "Employee to Entrepreneur." If you want to become a consultant, be sure you watch that course. Here's how to take action now. Make a list of your skills, and then go hunting for consultants who already do it. Look for ways to distinguish yourself, and then pick your niche, create your business cards, and get going. Get out to meetups and general business networking events to find new clients.

Contents