A Client Employer

A Client Employer – Consulting For The Company

Employers often embrace the idea of negotiating a deal that transitions an exiting employee to consulting for the company, because it extends their access to the employee and can be advantageous for everyone.

Granted, it may be a short-term fix until the boss can replace you, but if it amounts to a few months or more of steady employment, your transition will be easier financially and emotionally. Leaving the security of a full-time job to go out on your own can provoke anxiety. However, done on the right way, it can also may provide an opportunity to obtain your first paying client.

Another advantage of becoming a consultant for your ex-employer is that obtaining even a short-term contract with a prior employer earns you an instant referral that you can use to start building your portfolio. Before you try to persuade an employer to rehire you as a consultant, consider these few tips.

Honesty

Employers understand how much time an employee search and training can take, so you’ll be addressing a known need. You might even volunteer to assist with the search and training as part of your consulting tasks. Be honest about your consulting goals. Once you’ve decided to leave your job, share your plans with your employer. Explain your professional goals and how starting your own business will satisfy those objectives. Then, let the boss know you still want to contribute to the company on a temporary basis, and how that relationship can fill the void while the company searches for your replacement.

Education

Underscore advantages that will contribute to a healthy bottom line, such as a continued level of productivity while the company searches for your replacement, and reduced costs, since you won’t be drawing benefits or other perks once you’re working for a consulting fee. Educate employers on the advantages of consulting. Hone your pitching skills by selling your old boss on the advantages of hiring you in a different capacity. Emphasize the benefits the arrangement will provide to the company, especially the ways in which it will make the boss’s job easier.

Project

Pick the right consulting project. There’s probably no shortage of consulting projects you could take on for your previous employer, but picking the most appropriate one is critical. Select projects that you can complete within six to twelve weeks.

Fee

As your business and experience grow, so will your fees. Provide a written proposal. Commit your proposal to writing. This is an excellent way to walk your boss through the arrangement while defining expectations. Use what you know about your supervisor and the company to anticipate concerns and objections. Then, before anyone can raise them, address the issues in your document. Detail what the work will entail, how your results will be measured and summarize the terms of payment. When you’re ready to finalize a deal, transfer the terms of your proposal into the official contract.

Rate

Negotiate a discounted rate for your consulting services. Demonstrate an appreciation for the time you spent with the company by offering it a discount. You know exactly how much the company paid for your services as a full-time employee, so you know how much you can charge to make the arrangement financially beneficial to both sides. Don’t feel as if you’re short-changing yourself. Consultants often cut their rates for their first clients as a way of quickly building an impressive portfolio.

Confidentiality

Avoid the temptation of sharing your plans with co-workers. Though your closest comrades may be supportive, others may raise objections to your continuing with the organization as anything other than a full-time employee. While that shouldn’t keep you from quitting, it may make the boss think twice about agreeing to the new arrangement.

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