I had a recent conversation with a student of mine with an interesting question, and I thought you might be interested in hearing the key points.
He is a full-time employee at a Salesforce agency and liked the predictable income, but wanted to know his options for long-term growth. One of those options was to transitions to an independent contractor.
My first question was, are you allowed to do extra work outside of the agency? Some agencies have clauses in their agreements that prevent their employees from moonlighting as independent contractors. This makes sense from the agency’s perspective, but it limits your options.
If ever you are faced with this clause, make sure to have it removed from the agreement before signing it. If you’re already an employee, ask to have your agreement updated during your next yearly review.
The second topic was about finding contract work. Sites like upwork.com, fiverr.com, and toptal.com are good places to start, but make sure your prices are fixed, not hourly.
The third topic was the most important. Once your side work provides you with a decent income, then it’s time to consider leaving your employer. Not before.
The takeaway
It’s not a good idea to leave a decently paying job to become an independent contractor without a long-term contract lined up. It’s significantly less risky to have sufficient work outside of the agency before you transition.
If you want to explore this idea in further detail with me, feel free to book a coaching call with me and we can discuss your specific scenario. Keep in mind these calls are 100% guaranteed. At the end of our call, if you feel you have not received your money’s worth, just let me know and I’ll refund your payment in full, no questions asked.