Use existing footholds

About once a week, I'm tempted to chuck my whole business in the trash and open up a coffee shop/surf shop/book store in a small town simultaneously in the mountains and near the beach.

Government contracting is not the most exciting industry, and the setbacks are incredibly frustrating.

But it's where I have the highest chance of business success in the long term.

I have a track record and a network. I'm not starting from scratch.

That's why in my book I recommend converting your current job to a 1099 gig.

In your current job, you have several footholds: a positive reputation (I hope), relationships with the government client and program managers, and knowledge of contractual details.

You can use these footholds to go 1099 faster.

If you start with a whole other industry, technical field, government agency, etc., you're basically putting yourself at a disadvantage.

This doesn't mean that's not always the best choice. Sometimes it makes sense to do something entirely different.

But generally speaking, leveraging your current advantages is the smart move, and you'll find that success and momentum are enjoyable for their own sake, even if the environment you're operating in isn't perfect.

Want the full playbook? Check out Going 1099.