Hi, Josh here. I’ve been consulting for several decades, been involved in several technology startups, and done a few other things. My personal blog is currently a newsletter about the business aspects of working as an information technologist that offers consulting and freelancing services:
Here’s a sample of some of the essays I’ve shared with my email list over the years:
- How to Get Your Consulting Fee Upfront
- How to Immediately Start Closing More Freelancing Deals
- Fifteen Ways to Get Paid with Less Hassle as a Freelancer (or Consultant)
- Tech Consulting in a Tight Economy
“Josh is a person that I respect, trust and admire.”
Tim Williams, CEO & Founder, Digital West, Inc.
“Best investment made in my business to date.“
Kurt Sorensen, President/Owner, DIGON Systems
“Great note.”
John Gruber, Daring Fireball
“Josh is without question the best consultant I’ve relied on over the years.“
Kirk Smith, Network Administrator, Dioptics Medical Products, Inc.
“Josh is one of the most talented people I’ve ever had a chance to work with. He was a great boss and teacher.”
Jeff Raffo, Director of IT, EED (a DTI Company)
“I got your latest newsletter, and I’ve got to say I am pretty impressed.”
Dave Clark, President, Impulse Advanced Communications
A bit of backstory: I’ve been a professional information technologist for 26 years. I’ve consulted and freelanced on both a part-time and full-time basis since 1994, worked in a variety of IT engineering and operations as well as executive management roles, and been partnering with entrepreneurs along with analyzing and investing in businesses since 1997.
I’ve supported by family as a full-time IT freelancer and consultant since 2006 – though not without significant trial and error – helping business leaders and other information technologists overcome their most crucial information technology challenges.
In late 2008 I started an email list for other IT consultants to share the business strategies I was applying in my own solo consulting/freelancing practice.
The idea was that I’d help out my peers while simultaneously forcing myself to document what I was doing and, in turn, we’d all be better off for the effort. This was a side endeavor. My own consulting practice and life in general took priority, but I shared new things over the years haphazardly with that list (which grew to just over 300 members about a year or so in).
Fast forward to 2017: I made my consulting practice part-time to focus on managing my own money, to revisit helping other independent technology professionals provide consulting and freelancing services to support themselves and their families, and to continue to work with select technology clients.
Which brings us to today …
I plan to write an email (~once every 1-2 months) for freelancers, independent consultants, and other expertise-driven service business owners that are interested in bettering their consulting/freelancing practices.
(There will be bit of a slant towards information technologists – since that’s where I’m coming – but anyone is welcome).
This won’t be my first time doing this and it’ll essentially be a revival and sprucing up of my prior side project of documenting the business strategies from my own business.
In each email I intend to highlight a specific business challenge encountered in my independent consulting practice (and how I tackled it) or something of a similar nature. Topics include attracting clients, growing income, managing cash flow, balancing the workload, and more.
I also anticipate highlighting high caliber viewpoints from other independent professionals and business owners on the same topics.
Josh Richards 