Is going solo an art, or a red hot mess? I wasn't sure, so I asked someone who's done it.
Kate Murray is an organisational psychologist and the founder of Changify. When we spoke, she'd been on her own for four years, after leaving a high-pressure consulting role. She calls it a business baby by accident: no grand plan, just some fabulous clients who jumped on the journey with her.
She's refreshingly honest about what worked, what was harder than expected, and what she'd tell anyone thinking about making the leap.
Day rate contracting or consulting?
Kate says these need different skills.
- Day rate contracting is typically services delivery on a time and materials basis. You're there for the time you've committed.
- Consulting is shaped around clear deliverables, timelines and outcomes. Once the outcomes are achieved, you have more flexibility.
Contractors also have to sell their own value. Someone has to physically sign off on paying you for another six months, so you need to manage up and out and show what you're delivering. If you can run the PR campaign and the delivery, Kate says, you'll get extended.
I think day rate contracting can be a good stepping stone. It teaches you the mindset shift before you build a business.
Six lessons from four years solo
- Build on your reputation. Kate's first clients came from a LinkedIn post saying she was available, with no sales pitch. She says reputation and passion for the craft are what set her apart. Think about the people you've worked with well. They're your ideal clients.
- Have a financial buffer. Kate and her partner started with some financial security. It gave them the space to focus on clients and build the business properly.
- Find where your passion meets client need. A fellow business owner told her it's just about who's going to pay you to do the work. Start from the client's point of need, such as an SAP implementation or an AI strategy, and ask people in the market where the gaps are. Find your blue water.
- Price on research and scope. Research the market for a high and low rate. Programme size and complexity matter, and leading a team justifies a higher rate. Kate uses AI as a pricing coach, and notes women often don't negotiate. Your rate can flex by client, and you need to price in the extra admin.
- Expect the admin and the people challenges. Onboarding, offboarding and tax all land on you, and as Kate says, you are not going to be working less. If you hire, catch the wrong fit early.
- Build a support network. There are highs and lows, and a trusted inner circle keeps you grounded. If you want steady and solid, Kate says employment is the better choice.
How long should you give it?
Someone told me to give it three to five years. I think you know by year three whether it's for you. Kate says the moments of self-doubt never fully disappear, but around the two-year mark it stops feeling like a side project.
Her advice for starting: there's no perfect time. Put a plan together, talk to someone who's already doing it, and start.
As I said to Kate, the best time to start was yesterday.
Listen and next steps
- Listen to the full episode with Kate Murray
- Thinking about your next move? See how we help job seekers
