One of the most asked questions Jim gets is
“How do I become a consultant after retiring from the military?”
While we could spend days giving you all of the specifics on how to start your consulting business, we are going to boil it down to a few clear steps to get you started.
Step 1
Get into the consultant mindset. Switching from a military career into a business owner is a massive mental change, you may need to spend a few days or weeks thinking and planning. Will you be a sole proprietor? A partnership? An LLC? Now is the time to think through your barriers and challenges, identify your "why", and start making those decisions!
Step 2
Do a skills analysis. What did you learn during your time in the military? Which branch, agency, or department are you an expert in? Many of our consultants come from military backgrounds with a specific specialty like weapons systems engineering, ship building, team building, information technology, artificial intelligence… etc. Narrow down your areas of expertise and organize them in a capabilities briefing.
If you need guidance in assessing your strengths and weaknesses, reach out to our team and we will set you up with an expert to help you conduct this analysis.
Step 3
Attend networking events. You can learn a lot from other entrepreneurs. Attend local industry days, networking events, and happy hours and be open to learn how other business owners started and succeeded in their companies. This is also a great opportunity to get your name out there and start connecting with potential partners or customers.
There are events happening every week, all around the globe, in every industry, in person, and online. It can be overwhelming and confusing to decide which ones are worth your time and money. Book a call with us to identify a list of upcoming events specific to your industry and business goals, reach out to teal@focusingforwardconsult.com to get started!