Is it time for you to fire your boss and become a free agent? Let's face the facts; most people do not enjoy their jobs. They feel they have to put up with the long hours or feel underpaid and trapped in their current job just to pay their bills. When a player in the National Football League (or any professional sport) becomes a free agent, that's when they are offered the really large amounts of money.



Why not become a free agent in the world of Information Technology? In traditional information technology consulting firms, you may feel like there is a safety net under you. In reality, you can be out on the street as soon as you are no longer billable to a client. Being your own boss allows you to decide which projects you want to work on and if the drive to the client site is to long.

Below are the steps to become a free agent in the Information Technology area:

Form your own company:

This is an essential part of the process. From a liability and tax perspective you will want to form a corporation around yourself to protect your personal assets. There are many types of corporations that you can form and you may want to consult a tax advisor as to which may be best in your individual situation. (Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) and Sub-Chapter S Corporations are the most common.)

Find local consulting companies to market your skills:

Finding work when you are on your own is very challenging and time consuming. Let one of the local consulting firms in your area do the sales and marketing for your. There is a price for this of course. You can expect them to take 20 - 25% of the hourly charge. When looking for a consulting firm for contracts, it is best to start with the smaller consulting firms. They like free agents the best. If they can find a work contract for you, they make money without having any employee overhead expenses. There is no reason that you can't have multiple firms shopping your skills. The more sales people shopping your skills the faster the contracts roll in. Be sure to let the multiple firms know that there are others selling your services. This drives up the hourly rate you can charge the consulting firms since they know you can sign a contract with another firm.

Fire your boss:

The final and most rewarding step! Once you have a work contract, its time to tell your boss he's fired. You are now in complete control of your career.