Thank you very much for your advice.  I appreciate what you and Klaus said, and I think you're right that I need to give things a go as soon as possible.  

Sincerely,

Richard Dunks

On Jan 4, 2013, at 12:52 AM, Ruijie wrote:

I think Klaus is right. 1099 won't affect your study, and you'll need real experience and real connections anyway. And it's a test if you can really do it. Connections and interpersonal skills sometimes maybe are more important for a successful business. Other issue are just technical. Technical problems can always be solved by hiring/asking other people.

For names, maybe you need to consult trademark office to see the availability. And as a one-man company, you don't have to worry about your own title, just what you can do. Focus on the big picture and head to the right direction. 

On Thu, Jan 3, 2013 at 11:34 PM, Richard Dunks <[address removed]> wrote:

I'm a full-time graduate school and while I have some professional experience, my plan is to gain more professional experience before striking out entirely on my own.  If I end up doing any contract 1099 work, this would be the vehicle for that, but without solid skills, experience, or a client base (let alone the time while I go to school full-time), this wouldn't be the best time.  But that doesn't mean I'm sitting back and doing nothing;-)

Thank you for the kick in the pants, though.

Richard

On Jan 3, 2013, at 11:26 PM, Klaus Sonnenleiter wrote:

Richard,

You want to start a consulting company and you are 3 to 5 years away from getting started? My number one advice is "what are you waiting for?" Seriously, for any consulting outfit, your main job is to start looking for work, finding out if you have anything valuable to offer and learn from the results you get. You don't wait a few years to make plans. That makes no sense.

Klaus

On Jan 3, 2013, at 10:42 PM, Richard Dunks wrote:

I'm in the very early stages of starting my own consultancy (I'm talking pre-gestational, mid back-of-the-napkin phase).  I have a name I'm thinking of using and have started with the basics like a Twitter account, blog, and am working on the web address.  I'm doing this with the intention of creating content to showcase my skills and techniques.  I'm interested to know what other things I should be thinking about in order to stake a claim on a name and begin something of a branding process.  I'm still at least 3-5 years out from there being anything substantive to this company, but I'm interested in anyone's thoughts about what I should be thinking about in this stage.  

My main thoughts at this stage are:

• How do I make sure no one else has the name beyond just a Google search?
• How do I stake claim to the name besides just buying up the domain address and having the aforementioned accounts?
• What is your job title when you're self-employed at a company of one?  I could call myself the CEO, but I could also call myself the Head Janitor and both titles would be equally true.  If I'm going to do any promotion of this business to get things going, how do I describe myself as a self-employed tech entrepreneur without using a job title that is meaningless when it's a company of one?

I'm sure the things I don't know about this process could fill an email much longer than anyone has time to write, but I'd be happy for whatever thoughts or experiences you have time to share.  As always, I appreciate the knowledge, experience, and talent that is regularly shared on this list. 

Thank you,

Richard Dunks

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