Computermoney: Making Serious Dollars ($80,000+) in High-Tech Consulting

The day I discovered how much consultants on my project were being paid for doing the same work as I was doing, I decided to be a consultant myself. Higher income is just one obvious attraction of consulting; there are many others. On the other hand it's definitely not for everyone. Alan Canton's book will help you decide for yourself. Here, in one well-written and candid package, are all the things you have to consider, from honestly assessing your job, people, organizational skills and self-discipline to the practicalities of establishing your small business *in your area* (that's an important point that other books I've seen fail to consider). In short, Computermoney answered all the unknowns in the back of my mind that were holding me back and gave me a clear and, as it turns out, accurate set of expectations of the consulting lifestyle. I have given copies of this book to six people over the years since it was first given to me. Four of them reached the same conclusion I did and are now well paid computer consultants. Good luck with your decision!

I think that anyone who considers becoming an independent consultant should read this book first. It honestly talks about risks and negative sides of contracting as well as the money that you can make as a reward for taking these risks. The style is "tongue-in-cheek", and may even seem offensive at first, but after a few pages you get a feeling that you talk to a buddy who shares the secrets of trade with you. It's fun to read, gives you a great confidence boost if you are serious about independent consulting, and is full of practical advise. I found a lot of parallels with my own consulting experiences. Definitely recommend.