Q. I’ve been looking for a job since graduating from college six months ago, and want to know your POV regarding starting my own PR/freelancing business. A friend gave up looking and is now doing IT work and doing quite well as an independent operator. Can the same happen in PR? -EB
A. It’s possible, but not easy to start up a PR consulting business with no significant experience or contacts. It’s a lot tougher than IT support services that remain in pretty high demand thanks to Geek Squad and those who offer similar turnkey services.
Even veteran PR practitioners with considerable experience and a strong professional network find it difficult to go into business for themselves. If you decide to pursue your own business, you’ll want to contact as many people as possible to let them know of your availability for any size project. You may get lucky and catch some people who have a quick need for some basic assistance that they cannot get done with existing staffs. Internal staff budgets are tight so you might come up with some opportunities to fill short-term needs in agencies and companies. It won’t be easy since more experienced freelancers may have been providing these services for some time already, although you’re price point likely will be an attraction to some.
If you decide to proceed, you should do a lot of research starting with some the basic tips provided by eHow.com and other online business sites.