Easy steps to start and grow your independent consulting business
Make it Happen!
What’s in it for you?
Many people think of a move to independent consulting without considering that it is a business. Are wondering about the best way to get started? You need a clear roadmap. I know I did.
Here you have what I wish I had from the beginning:
- A step-by-step process to help you start your independent consulting business. Each step is explained.
- What to do after you have started your consulting business.
- How to grow your business.
This website is the result of my own experience of making the transition to independent consulting and more than a decade of working as an independent consultant.
For years, as a consultant, I have encouraged, helped, and advised my clients as they advanced their businesses.
Many of my colleagues and friends asked me how to make the transition to consulting and how to continue to grow as an independent consultant. I would refer them to my business website, where I had areas devoted to setting up your consulting business, how to consult, and about the day-to-day work and lifestyle of a consultant.
Now this resource on consulting is here on a separate website.
I am reaching out beyond my friends and working colleagues. This site is for you.
Take action now:
Set up your consulting business step by step:
Learn about life as a consultant:
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My story
Academia
For years, the medical research was in an academic and governmental setting.
During that time, I presented at research meetings, published papers and book chapters, and edited books mainly in the area of autoimmune diseases. I put on and attended many workshops and conferences. I also took the opportunity to do courses in epidemiology, statistics, statistical programming, clinical trial design, and other topics related to research.
Over time, business became more and more interesting to me. I was fascinated by entrepreneurship and intrigued with business processes and how they could be improved, for example, Kaizen.
I also thought about how good it could be to live as a nomad, working wherever I wanted. Much time was devoted to reading about these topics online and in print and I was inspired by Michael Gerber’s EMyth and Tim Ferris.
The pharmaceutical Industry
So, with interests in medical research and business, I moved from academia to the pharmaceutical industry.
The research continued but focused on clinical development to bring people new drugs.
It was fun working with highly driven cross-functional teams that included, project management, clinical and basic science research, clinical operations, manufacturing, regulatory, marketing, business and other department members. We also worked with contract research organizations. We all learned from each other and coordinated and ran many complex projects including multinational clinical trials.
Another great learning experience was interacting with world experts on various diseases and treatments, who were advisors and consultants.
More and more, I thought about making a transition to consulting. So, what did I do? Read about a lot more about business and consulting. You can see the trend here. This was a deep dive, but I procrastinated. Also, I spoke with many consultants about how they handled their work. By this time, I knew the main steps needed to establish my own business and a consultancy.
Independent consulting
Right after I made the move to consulting, I realized I should have transitioned long before.
Besides procrastinating too long, I made other mistakes along the way, especially in the early stages. For example, I could have set up the business infrastructure for consulting way earlier. This I only did in the later stages of my last job. You can do it while you are still working. The thing is you can do this at any time.
Actually consulting while you are working may not be a problem. It turned out that my employer was fine with consulting as long as there was no conflict of interest. Check with your employer.
Online, some people recommended registering in a state without business tax, so I ended up paying business license fees in my home state and in my tax-free state. When you actually do business in a state, they want you to pay taxes there. As my accountant informed me, registering a business out of state didn’t make sense. So eventually, I fixed it. In the blog, I write about some of my mistakes and about what worked well for me.
Since the transition, I have consulted on clinical development and strategy to the biopharmaceutical industry for more than a decade. My main interests are in clinical trial design and clinical development strategies in the autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and cancer. My clients have included startup and big pharma companies, research institutions, and contract research organizations. So you will see topics on my blog related to “How to move to consulting in the pharmaceutical industry” and “How to move to independent consulting in clinical operations”.
Helping others to make the transition to consulting and grow their business
My consulting continues and I want to help you in your quest to establish yourself in consulting. On this website, you will find a step-by-step guide on how to make the transition to consulting, more detailed blog posts on that topic, and articles about all manner of aspects of living and working as a consultant.
If you have not decided yet whether consulting is for you, see:
So you want to be a consultant?
Mentors can help you start and grow a consulting business
What is your story?
Please reach out with comments and questions.