Many of us have enjoyed working from home during the COVID lock-downs but have wondered how to avoid going back to the office forever.
Jill decided that there must be a way to make it happen. Her skills were valuable to so many businesses; so Jill approached a few companies to act as a consultant on a fee for service basis.
The take-up was amazing. Most businesses loved the idea of having her skills at a lower cost. In no time, Jill had taken on several clients, while still consulting with clients in between working at home for her original employer.
Relishing the benefits like time with her children, being able to work without distractions from chatty co-workers. Life improved, no time wasted commuting, improved bank balance, her husband even helped with some of the administration duties.
As the months ticked by, juggling the various aspects started to take its toll. Jill decided to quit her job to concentrate on being a consultant full-time. Once done Jill was able to take on even more clients however, without her regular salary her bank balance started to get a bit shaky. But every time she tried to increase fees she met stiff resistance. So with new clients, she set out the terms of engagement in writing. Jill was a great consultant, but sadly new to setting terms of trade, soon she was falling foul of errors and omissions in the terms she set. Worse, Jill had set fees too low in her terms of engagement, finding herself locked into working extra unpaid hours. It looked like Jill would have to try negotiating to get her old job back, even though she knew that would involve a pay cut.
Then a friend recommended she read “Become a successful Consultant” published by e-training manuals. It was a revelation. Jill could see how she had failed to plan. The shortcomings of her terms of engagement become apparent and so easily fixed. The chapter on setting fees alone saved Jill more than the cost of this eBook.