Computer Consulting: Should You Moonlight While Starting Up?

by: Joshua Feinberg

A tremendous number of people are able to earn sizable supplemental income by having a moonlighting computer consulting business. But even more importantly, by moonlighting, you can figure out if you enjoy computer consulting before you take the plunge into building a full-time computer consulting business.

Learn True Billable Hours

Moonlighting as a computer consultant will also give you an appreciation of true billable hours. What does this mean? For example, let's say you spend 10 hours working, but you may only be able to bill for 4. Or you spend 10 hours and can only bill 6 or 7 of these 10 hours. That's the reality. You can read about it until the cows come home. But unless you experience it firsthand, you will not get the full picture.

What Constitutes Non-Billable Hours?

What takes up those non-billable hours? The other responsibilities of running a business. These include:

· Marketing
· Business Development
· Paperwork
· Organization
· Billing and Collections
· Accounting

Until you experience owning a computer consulting business firsthand, it's very difficult for you to know whether you're really going to enjoy it, and whether you're really cut out for small business computer consulting.

The Benefits to Moonlighting

But the number one benefit of moonlighting while you still have a day job is there's no pressure on you. If you don't like computer consulting, oh well, no big deal. But the moonlighting experience gives you a great way to put your toe in the water without making a huge commitment. Plus, you don't have to bet your family's financial well-being on the whole thing.

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