I'm starting to spin up my consulting business again. It's been quiet for a couple of years, so there are all sorts of things that need to be dusted off and refreshed. Being a little older and wiser, I see just how much has changed. The major things that I have come to appreciate are the issues around risk and risk management. Previously I was happy to dive into a job and swim.
Now I'm a little more aware of the risks before I even dip my toe in the water. I have always said that getting the technology right in a system was just a factor of time and energy, but getting the people in a system right is a whole different ball of wax. Working at the Uni has given me a much greater appreciation for just how much trouble there can be in the politics of large distributed organizations. This all ties back to my interest in Behavioral Economics but that's just a pleasant side project.
Anyway, to cut a long ramble short. While I'm more confident and relaxed about consulting in medium enterprises now, I am also more aware of the complexity that larger groups of people generate. Getting the people right is now the first priority. The question, as always, is how.
Things to dust off...
* Advertising
* Presentation (Business cards, phone numbers, web presence, letter head etc)
* Infrastructure ( Office space, servers and workstation, development tools, toolkit, laptop etc)
* Network ( People, Suppliers, Sub-contractors )
* Business and tax knowledge
* Reading list (Read more ads and less facts)
* Spreadsheets, Invoices and Gantt charts
Tick, tick tick.... the game is on.
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