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    Consulting Second Act

    $50-300/hr. Best work of life.

    Best second-act fields

    • Healthcare — retired nurses, doctors, admins highly valued.
    • Finance — fractional CFO, bookkeeping for small biz.
    • HR — small businesses can't afford full-time.
    • Engineering — peer review, expert witness.
    • Education — curriculum, ed-tech, training.
    • Marketing — fractional CMO.
    • Tech — older systems / Cobol/AS400 actually high demand.
    • Pre-existing network = clients ready.

    Setup business

    • LLC — protect personal assets ($100-300 setup).
    • EIN from IRS — free.
    • Business bank account.
    • Liability insurance — Hiscox, Hartford ($300-1,000/yr).
    • Accounting software (QuickBooks $30/mo).
    • LinkedIn premium ($30/mo) — find clients.
    • Simple website (Squarespace $16/mo).

    Find clients

    • Tell EVERYONE in your network.
    • Former employer often first client.
    • LinkedIn — repost articles, comment thoughtfully.
    • Catalant — connects experts to companies.
    • Toptal — top consultants.
    • SCORE — also paid consulting through them.
    • Speak at industry events — speakers get hired.
    • Write LinkedIn articles.

    Pricing

    • Hourly = $50-300+ (your value).
    • Flat fees often better — value-based.
    • Monthly retainer = predictable income.
    • Don't undercharge — establishes value.
    • Take old salary / 1,800 hrs = baseline.
    • Then DOUBLE — consultants earn more for same hour.
    • Year 1 underpriced, year 2+ premium.

    Senior advantages

    • Decades of experience.
    • Wide network.
    • Pattern recognition (seen it all).
    • No ladder-climbing politics.
    • Clients value gray hair = wisdom.
    • Schedule flexibility = parent + grandparent + travel.
    • 10-20 hrs/week often enough income.

    Tax considerations

    • Self-employment tax 15.3%.
    • Quarterly estimated taxes.
    • Solo 401(k) — contribute up to $77K/yr (2026).
    • SEP IRA easier alternative.
    • Home office deduction.
    • Health insurance premiums deductible.
    • Talk to CPA — easily worth it.

    Encore career resources

    Encore.org — second-act careers focused on social impact. Senior PhDs — academic consulting. SCORE — small business mentoring (paid + volunteer). Best part: choose only projects that interest you. Skip the BS. Pure work.