Advice for New Consultants No One Asked Me For

In this gig-style economy we all live in, I find that more people are either leaving their job to become a consultant or are side-hustling as a consultant while they have a full-time job.

Let me cut to the chase: Consultant is a 4-letter word. Don't be a consultant.

Instead, be someone people trust. It will probably take you a few years to internalize this message and the difference between this and consultant but write it down on your mirror until it sticks in your head and permeates your writing.

In consulting, there are really only two problems to solve:

1 - How to find clients consistently, while you are working on projects.

(even if the first half of this sentence is easy (it's not), the second half of this sentence is definitely not).

2 - How do you deal with lumpy revenue?

(Save your money, keep your expenses low, and smooth out how you pay yourself is my advice).

If you can solve these two problems, you will have longevity. And if you have longevity, you will need to solve higher class problems... but they will be, at least, higher class problems.

Good luck out there!

Rick Watson

Rick Watson founded RMW Commerce Consulting after spending 20+ years as a technology entrepreneur and operator exclusively in the eCommerce industry with companies like ChannelAdvisor, BarnesandNoble.com, Merchantry, and Pitney Bowes.

Watson’s work today is centered on supporting investors and management teams incubating and growing direct-to-consumer businesses. Most recently, in partnership with WHP Global, Rick was a critical resource in architecting the WHP+ platform, a new turnkey direct to consumer digital e-commerce platform that powers AnneKlein.com and JosephAbboud.com.

Watson also hosts a weekly podcast, Watson Weekly, where he shares an unbiased, unfiltered expert take on the retail sector’s biggest players.

In the past year alone, Rick has spoken at many in-person and virtual events as well as podcasts on topics ranging from retail/ecom to supply chain/logistics and even digital grocery including CommerceNext IRL, ASCM Connect, and Retail Innovation Conference.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/
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