In the event that some of you are considering a career migration into consulting, The LabMan brings you advice from someone who has been successful at that endeavor for 17 years.  The LabMan first met Bob McDowall at the first ICAR conference in Montreaux, Switzerland in 1992, when he was teaching a LIMS short course the same evening that the conference was offering a wine tasting at a local chateau.  That's dedication! 

Background

Bob McDowall found himself leaving the pharmaceutical industry in 1993 and decided that after three "proper" jobs in paid employment that resulted in alternative career progression plans (i.e. redundancy) it would be better to set up as a consultant. He is still self employed and McDowall Consulting (www.rdmcdowall.com) celebrates the start of its 17th year in business on 1st May - this is the most stable envionment he has worked in with only one downside of reporting to his CEO (i.e. wife). Bob was lucky as he was well known in the laboratory automation, computer validation and LIMS fields through his publications, courses and LIMS book. This enabled him to set up a consultancy business and the early days were helped temendously by his contacts with Coopers and Lybrand and Digital Consulting that used him as an Associate Consultant enabling Bob to gain experience of larger consulting projects. 

 Bob has developed a business that offers:

- Consultancy around process improvement, automation, LIMS and

- Chromatography Data Systems and regulatory compliance

- Training courses either publically available or run in-house

- Writing publications including the columns Focus on Quality in Spectroscopy magazine and Questions of Quality in LC-GC Europe Each element contributes inputs and outputs to the others.

Some of Bob's advice and thoughts for setting up your own consultancy business:

- Be Able to Work On Your Own: The first thing to remember is that you will go from working in an organisation where there are support services available and taken for granted: problem with a PC call IT. This now moves to fix it yourself, booking travel now changes to get on the web etc. If you like talking to people this disappears on day 1 of setting up your own consulting business and turns into four walls at home, a phone and computer.

- Enjoy What You Do: if you don't enjoy the work give up and get a proper job as your clients will quickly spot this.

- Be Flexible: there is never a one size fits all approach. Each organisation, culture and people will usually require different approaches and solutions. Often these may be variations on a theme but never go into a job with a fixed approach as you will have nasty surprises

- Use Your Network: Your contacts are your best sources of help, support and consulting engagements. Build them, find more and maintain them

- Collaborate to find Bigger Projects. UK TV had an advert whith the slogan "I know a man who does". This should apply to you via your contacts with other consultants, this will help you develop a consulting network to tackle larger consulting engagements.

- Know your Strengths AND Your Limitations: Focus on your core strengths and a key strength is to know your limitations. Know when to say a job is outside of your experience or through your network you now another consultant who can do the job on your behalf.

- Satisfied Clients Are Your Best Advertisting Medium: You are as good as your last constulting job. Work to ensure that cleint expectations are met or exceeded word of mouth is a very effective marketing campaign.

- Keep Current: The world is changing especially in the regulated industries. Regulations and guidance are changing rapidly and this rate is increasing. If you are doing a job the same way as you did three years ago you have not understood the changes and you are not learning from your engagements.

DomoArigato, Mr. Roboto!