How to quit your job, but work there at the same time.
Jon Lieb was working as the communications manager for The Greenberg Group, a real-estate-consulting firm in Long Island, New York, when a few people in quick succession asked if he was available for some free-lance work. It made him think the time could be right to go out on his own.
Working for himself was something he'd always wanted to do, but he wanted one solid, steady client to get him going. So he came up with a plan to outsource his own job. His boss, Steven Greenberg, "listened to my reasoning, that he would get the same level of results from me in a more cost-effective way," Mr. Lieb recalls.
Mr. Greenberg agreed, and arranged for Mr. Lieb to work in the office once a week and be available by phone as needed on the other days in exchange for a retainer. Now Mr. Lieb has a half-dozen clients as well as Greenberg. The deal he struck isn't the one he'd negotiate as a seasoned consultant (he charges other clients an hourly rate). But Mr. Lieb says his former boss has given him referrals and sends him to represent the company at events where he can network with other potential clients. Most importantly, he says, the arrangement gave him a low-risk way to strike out on his own.
If you've been longing to join that crowd of free agents, but don't know where you'd turn to find that crucial first client, take a cue from Mr. Lieb and look around your office.
How to Get Your Ex-Employer To Become Your Client
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