For a lot of you in the Information Technology (IT) business, you probably work in a big city. So getting laid-off, although it still sucks, as long as you have a good looking resume and know your stuff, you will find a new job relatively quick. It's the best thing about IT, everyone uses computers so there is always a need for IT experts.
Well, that was my thinking until I moved to a podunk little one-horse town in nowhere Colorado. It is a rural area with a ton of small businesses, and no permanent IT jobs! Everyone out here outsources to independent contractors, and the only jobs don't pay what you can make in the big city. This situation makes me kind of nervous, because if my current company decides that they don't like me working remotely from podunk Colorado, then what will I do?
Well, I've been planning it for the last few years actually. I call it my "plan b", and that is to start my own independent IT consulting business. I got to talking with a local dentist up the street about who fixes his computers when they have issues. He said he had to call a company in a town that is an hour away, and usually it takes them a few days before they can come on site. That means that when something goes down for this dentist, his business could potentially be on hold for a few days! What's that I smell? Opportunity!
Back when I first got into IT in San Diego, I used to do my own home computer business on the side. I learned then that if push came to shove, I could make money on my own. I also learned about a few tools one can use to get jobs, and they are sort of like Uber, the independent taxi-like service that is letting millions of people work on their own time and use their car to make money. These tools, unlike Uber, are geared towards IT people. Here they are:
All of these services have apps that you can download to your phone. They will also send you email and text alerts when contract or freelance jobs come up!
When you are thinking about setting out on your own, and being your own boss it can be a scary prospect. However, if you plan for it right, and execute it properly, you can make decent money doing freelance work like this and being your own boss.
Like I said, for me this is my plan B option. I sincerely hope things continue your work out with my current company, but you never know what the future may bring. It gives me peace of mind having options like the services above to know that I will be able to find work if I need it.
