| PR people are "fortunate." When unemployed, | | | | holidays working just because your boss thinks |
| they always have the option to become | | | | you should. How you spend your time is |
| consultants. My firm has been asked recently to | | | | completely in your control. Be as inflexible or |
| refer more consultants to clients than in years | | | | flexible with your hours as you want. |
| past. | | | | The minuses of consulting 1) "The buck stops |
| Depending on any restrictive covenants that may | | | | here." You might be wishing you'd majored in |
| bind an executive after leaving a firm, the | | | | accounting in college! Uncle Sam and your |
| erstwhile PR entrepreneur can start a consulting | | | | consulting business have become instant partners. |
| business with a client or two already in the | | | | And the IRS can be pretty demanding. The key |
| pocket. | | | | to running any business is staying financially sound. |
| Consulting, however, is not for everyone. | | | | Prepare for the inevitability of losing three of your |
| Consultants fall into two groups -- those who are | | | | biggest five accounts in the same week. It |
| seeking consulting assignments until they find a | | | | happens. |
| new, full-time job, and those who view it as their | | | | 2) Running the show. Often consultants find |
| full-time profession. | | | | themselves unwilling or unable to gather the |
| Depending on a consultant's specialty or industry, | | | | necessary support they need to complete big |
| fees can range anywhere from $150-$200 per | | | | programs and run their businesses at the same |
| hour for more experienced executives. Those | | | | time. There are mailings to do, events to plan and |
| with less than 15 years of experience are | | | | oversee and speeches to write. Without |
| commanding hourly fees in the range of $50-$125, | | | | employee administrative and vendor support, |
| depending on their areas of expertise. | | | | running a profitable consulting business can actually |
| Since the freelance and consulting world is not for | | | | absorb all those hours and days you've allocated |
| the faint of heart, let's take a look at some of | | | | for leisurely pursuits. |
| the pluses and minuses. Obviously, the benefits | | | | 3) Me, myself and I. One of the most common |
| and/or the deficits of becoming a consultant will | | | | complaints I hear from consultants is the lack of |
| vary in degree in relation to the economic state | | | | professional human interaction. People, and PR |
| of PR and your own personal perception. | | | | people especially, are social animals. Occasionally, |
| For instance, if you would only consider consulting | | | | the solitude of consulting can turn into loneliness |
| between jobs as a stop-gap measure, then you | | | | and a yearning for someone else's voice or |
| may view a minus item as a plus or vice-versa. | | | | opinion. Being your own best motivator can lead |
| The pluses of consulting | | | | to a decline in creativity and productivity. |
| 1) Choose your clients. Say good-bye to that | | | | 4) Dealing with distractions. Every day presents |
| client who thinks its service or product demands | | | | new opportunities for undisciplined consultants to |
| most of your waking hours and can't understand | | | | become distracted by non work-related matters. |
| why Leslie Stahl hasn't called yet. This is a chance | | | | The temptation to shut down the computer and |
| to move into industries that always intrigued you, | | | | pick up the car keys can sometimes be too great |
| but time didn't permit it. | | | | for some people on a beautiful day. If you are an |
| 2) Eliminate the hierarchy. You are on your own, | | | | in-between-jobs consultant, the job of running |
| unfettered by internal PR firm politics. | | | | your business can take you away from the |
| 3) Dare to be creative. Release that pent-up | | | | business of looking for a new full-time job. |
| creative monster within. | | | | 5) Overservicing. There is a tendency to spend |
| 4) Welcome praise, accept blame. These are the | | | | more time overservicing demanding or large |
| big leagues. A major screw-up could cost you a | | | | clients. They can call you at home since that's |
| client. But a program, strategy or big idea that | | | | where you're working from. |
| scores could win you a referral to another client. | | | | 6) Accept rejection. A consultant must also learn |
| It's all about performance. | | | | to accept the rejections he/she will undoubtedly |
| 5) Develop new relationships with editors, | | | | experience from clients or prospects who prefer |
| reporters, clients and professional groups. | | | | larger, more established agencies. |
| 6) Challenge yourself. Whether consulting is | | | | Making the switch from being the client to being |
| something you aimed for or is a last resort, it will | | | | the outside consultant can sometimes become a |
| test your entrepreneurial mettle. | | | | daunting mental transition. |
| 7) Time management control. Whether it's the | | | | As with any business, PR consulting involves risk. |
| decision to get on a plane and visit a client, or pick | | | | The rest is all up to you and your perception of |
| up your kid from school, your time is finally your | | | | yourself and your PR abilities. |
| time. No more spending nights, weekends and | | | | |