Great discussion on April 5 about managing peaks and valleys- a lot of energy around this topic!  Recording available for members, here:  https://lifescihub1.sharepoint.com/:v:/s/LifeSciHubExpertProviderCommunity/ETVK3qMWT1ZBnapzvb28sy0BZ1F8DEITaZPqMvxNrAlY-g?e=brWrij

According to our research, the  Annual LifeSciHub Life Sciences Independent Workforce Survey, managing the peaks and valleys was the third most cited challenge of independent consulting:  “The most heavily weighted challenges were finding work (48%), and business administration tasks (46%).  Managing workflow peaks and valleys was selected by 41% over all, but significantly higher for new consultants. Workflow peaks and valleys was more heavily weighted within the 0-2 year respondent group than any other factor, indicating that this is a challenging adjustment for new independent consultants. A common refrain was “independent consulting is not for everyone”.

Other independent consultants weigh in:

”Best advice I ever had…don’t even THINK of becoming freelance unless you can survive without income for 6 months!”

“If you can accept the risk and intermittent revenue flow, being an independent consultant is fun. If you can’t, you should not be an independent consultant”

“It’s definitely not for everyone. The peaks/valleys are tough and sometimes it’s lonely. However, I wouldn’t trade it for the interesting projects I’ve undertaken and colleagues I’ve encountered”

“Time management is a challenge when trying to balance multiple part-time projects and clients simultaneously.”

“It can be fluid, there are ups and downs”