My career path took a new route at the start of the year when I took the opportunity to start my own business as a service management & leadership consultant. Whilst of course it has been incredibly exciting, after being a permanent employee since I left university, it has been daunting at times with a steep learning curve to understand what starting & running a business entails. I’ve made jokes in the past about contractors and how simple their working life was: work for a client on a project with no BAU activities to worry about, charge a day rate, take holiday when you like, pay less tax, and so on. This could not be further from the truth. This is what I’ve learned so far: You have to move from a PAYE mindset to building a viable business from a brand & financial perspective i.e. The business earns the day rate, not the consultant There are business liabilities and financial overheads to manage such as tax, NI contributions, VAT, etc. There are subscriptions, fees and start-up costs to pay, e.g. Accountant, insurances, etc. You can take holiday when you like, but the business isn’t earning when you do. Similarly, you don't get the benefits you get as a permanent employee (sick pay, pension, health insurance, etc.) There’s more to that list in terms of all the financial and legal responsibilities of running a business but I’ll pause there and shift focus to the cultural changes I’ve experienced. As a permanent employee my working days were almost mapped out to a degree in terms of the BAU responsibilities & deliveries as well as the project and ad hoc work to be planned, delivered and reviewed. Meetings usually started at 8am and were back-to-back throughout the day. Many of these meetings were by rote rather than adding value, or being action focused with clear outcomes. I often worked additional hours to catch up on the actual work that couldn’t be done during the working day due to meetings and other demands on my time. As a consultant I have a statement of works with clear deliverables - similar to a project brief. My days are not filled with endless meetings and when there are meetings, they have a purpose, clear outcomes and I feel productive. I feel a freedom that is both alien and welcome in terms of how I spend my time as well as in terms of the rich interactions I have with my clients. I am in my 4th month as a consultant, but it’s certainly given me a new perspective on working environments, what is important to me for my career and the organisations I work with. I have been incredibly lucky with my first client - getting to work with some incredibly talented people for a fast-growing organisation has brought me joy. I thoroughly enjoy my work and feel a lightness of spirit now that motivates me to succeed and drive myself forward. The time may come in the future where I return to the world of permanent employment, but for now I’m relishing the adventure, lapping up as much experience as possible whilst building my business, making new connections and developing what I hope to be long lasting relationships with colleagues and clients alike.