Ask HN: How did you transition from FTE to self-employed/sole proprietor?
A friend (who has consulted for a long time) once said that there are three parts to being a successful consultant:<p><pre><code>  * finding the work
  * doing the work
  * getting paid for the work
</code></pre>
When you are an FTE, the only thing you have to focus on is doing the work. That&#x27;s one of the reasons you get paid less as an FTE than as a consultant.<p>I&#x27;ve transitioned twice from FTE roles to long periods of consulting.<p>Things I&#x27;d consider if I was doing it now (some advice only applicable within the USA, sorry):<p><pre><code>   * have savings. I think 12 months is too much, I&#x27;d probably aim for 6. If you have a house, open a HELOC now and draw it down. 
   * more important than the number of months is your comfort with your runway and your planning on how to exit consulting if things don&#x27;t go well. Don&#x27;t wait until you have no money left to apply for jobs. 
   * if you want to buy a home, talk to a mortgage lender while still employed and see what the options are for self employed folks. When I last checked (years ago) you needed to have two years of self employment income to qualify for a mortgage.
   * Depending on your skills, you may be able to find part time work pretty easily. For instance, if you are devops person and want to do training, there are opportunities out there. Training on cutting edge tech, if you like to teach, pairs quite nicely with consulting.
   * Reach out to past colleagues and ask if they have any needs for extra hands. These folks who know you will be a great source of work and you won&#x27;t have to spend as much effort selling them--they know you are great.
   * cut your costs now. If you aren&#x27;t watching your finances closely, take a look and plug any leaks.
   * discuss the risk&#x2F;reward with your family, if you have one. You&#x27;ll be taking on additional risk and stress. Don&#x27;t have that be a surprise.
   * start a blog about your specialized business if you haven&#x27;t already. This is a great way to 1) showcase your expertise in a scalable manner and 2) keep you on top of your game, since you&#x27;ll be researching to write the posts.
</code></pre>
Best of luck!