Comments on: 7 Steps for a Solo Career http://allfinancialmatters.com/2007/03/24/7-steps-for-a-solo-career/ A personal finance blog dedicated to discussing such topics as budgeting, asset allocation, 401K, IRA, cash flow, insurance, financial planning, portfolio management, and other areas in personal finance. Thu, 24 May 2012 21:32:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Consultant http://allfinancialmatters.com/2007/03/24/7-steps-for-a-solo-career/comment-page-1/#comment-92045 Consultant Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:43:16 +0000 http://allfinancialmatters.com/2007/03/24/7-steps-for-a-solo-career/#comment-92045 One other thing I recommend for both people going solo and those of us still working for someone else. Look at every job, every project, and every client and ask yourself how they can increase your skills individually and the marketability of your company. The way I try to word that is simply this: If I succeed at this, what terms do I describe the success in? Sometimes the value of that question is in recognizing networking opportunities. Sometimes, you are building valuable skills. Sometimes you are achieving concrete successes that you can put on your resume. But it will force you to put your successes into the terms of the people paying you. Customers are what its about. One other thing I recommend for both people going solo and those of us still working for someone else. Look at every job, every project, and every client and ask yourself how they can increase your skills individually and the marketability of your company. The way I try to word that is simply this: If I succeed at this, what terms do I describe the success in?

Sometimes the value of that question is in recognizing networking opportunities. Sometimes, you are building valuable skills. Sometimes you are achieving concrete successes that you can put on your resume. But it will force you to put your successes into the terms of the people paying you. Customers are what its about.

]]> By: MossysF http://allfinancialmatters.com/2007/03/24/7-steps-for-a-solo-career/comment-page-1/#comment-91376 MossysF Sun, 25 Mar 2007 17:47:20 +0000 http://allfinancialmatters.com/2007/03/24/7-steps-for-a-solo-career/#comment-91376 My wife and I both are involved in separate businesses and the most important thing we've learned is to hold expenses down -- both personal and business. You can ride out rough patches if you don't have mandatory bills. You can use that extra money to fund necessary equipment or advertising to grow the business. Otherwise, you're then putting expenses on credit hoping your revenues grow faster than your credit balances which at 20% compounding is a poor bet. My wife and I both are involved in separate businesses and the most important thing we’ve learned is to hold expenses down — both personal and business. You can ride out rough patches if you don’t have mandatory bills. You can use that extra money to fund necessary equipment or advertising to grow the business. Otherwise, you’re then putting expenses on credit hoping your revenues grow faster than your credit balances which at 20% compounding is a poor bet.

]]> By: Roy http://allfinancialmatters.com/2007/03/24/7-steps-for-a-solo-career/comment-page-1/#comment-91339 Roy Sun, 25 Mar 2007 14:01:59 +0000 http://allfinancialmatters.com/2007/03/24/7-steps-for-a-solo-career/#comment-91339 Amen to number 7. I'm independent right now. Going to have to get the paperwork done yesterday. Somehow my customers found me before I was "ready". I fix houses, sub, and do general fix-it as needed. Nice people so far. Working for the man ain't my bag anymore. Amen to number 7. I’m independent right now. Going to have to get the paperwork done yesterday. Somehow my customers found me before I was “ready”. I fix houses, sub, and do general fix-it as needed. Nice people so far.

Working for the man ain’t my bag anymore.

]]> By: Darren Johnson http://allfinancialmatters.com/2007/03/24/7-steps-for-a-solo-career/comment-page-1/#comment-91253 Darren Johnson Sun, 25 Mar 2007 07:46:25 +0000 http://allfinancialmatters.com/2007/03/24/7-steps-for-a-solo-career/#comment-91253 Great post. Thanks for the info. I'd agree most strongly with #7 out of all of them. The myth of job security is long gone. Anyone who thinks their company will be taking care of them long into retirement is in trouble. Every person is a company of one at all times, no matter where you work you better be building your personal brand. Great post. Thanks for the info. I’d agree most strongly with #7 out of all of them. The myth of job security is long gone. Anyone who thinks their company will be taking care of them long into retirement is in trouble. Every person is a company of one at all times, no matter where you work you better be building your personal brand.

]]>