The best practical means available to America for countering our economic challenge is our resourcefulness and our innovativeness. Among the ideas tossed into the arena for brainstorming in various forums; reseller/retailer ventures. Where better to tap these practical means than IT; a struggling industry even before the meltdown.
Who are the IT people whose knowledge, skills and experience (KSE) wealth resources have built and sustained startups and mega corporations? own resources? They are those displaced by outsourcing, unemployed or under-employed. They are technicians, engineers, students and hobbyists. Students, despite not being field tested, can make a significant contribution, too. Also, students are on par with all others: None are employees. All are consultants.
The network model as an enterprise concept represents an embrace of America?s resourcefulness and innovativeness. Those left behind in the aftermath of outsourcing to utilize their KSE resources are unwitting beneficiaries of corporate resources for their use. Those corporate resources by which businesses survive and thrive: Leverage tax law and create alliances.
A challenging situation often requires truly thinking and acting outside known, comfortable parameters such as the traditional employer/employee model. It is deeply engrained and we are well conditioned to belief what we do as employees cannot be done as independent consultants. Even worse, that we cannot partner with workplace peers to combine our KSE for our mutual advantage. How does such a group come together? Who are their clients?
An online network database visible to clients, but to members too who can search for consultants with whom they can partner for their next project. Start out with small projects; building systems for neighbors, friends; to building systems, servers for resellers, to setting up small business networks; _ for profit. When Dell, as an example, entered and exited quickly the multi-billion dollar whitebox market do not deceive yourself Dell saturated the market. It is as big as ever and, again, don?t deceive yourself into believing everybody owns a desktop let alone laptops. How many small business clients do you suppose would like the benefit of a IT department but whose payroll cannot support a single individual. An Independent Consultant Network allows clients access to a vast array of KSE. Consulting allows the individual to do as the corporations, even as sole proprietors, to leverage tax law to their advantage. A network (or alliance) allows them the opportunity to multiply their income, increasingly.
The IC-Network is more than a club or hangout for buddies at the local reseller/retailer in town. In addition to income earned by members? individual personal consulting services a network generates residual income and bonus; _ locally, regionally, statewide and nationwide. The risk: Nominal. The investment: Even less.
