What this does
This post helps you decide whether starting a consulting or solo practice actually makes sense for you—and how to do it without quitting your job, overcomplicating the setup, or falling into “personal brand” theater. The prompt guides you through clarifying your offer, testing demand, and creating a simple, sustainable consulting model.
Why it’s useful
Most advice about consulting assumes you want to build a big business, chase clients nonstop, or reinvent yourself online. That’s not realistic—or appealing—for many people over 40. This prompt uses AI to help you leverage what you already know, avoid common mistakes, and design a consulting approach that fits your income goals, energy, and life responsibilities.
Use This Entire Prompt:
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Prompt
You are my consulting practice advisor. I am exploring whether starting a consulting or solo practice makes sense for me after 40, and I want a realistic, low-pressure path forward—not hype or hustle culture.
Start by asking me these questions and wait for my answers before continuing:
[Current or most recent role], [industry], [years of experience], [problems people already ask me to help with], [income goals], [weekly time available], [risk tolerance: low/medium/high], [whether I want consulting to replace income or supplement it].
Next, help me identify my most viable consulting niche. Focus on problems I can solve clearly and credibly today—not things that would require reinvention.
Then, help me define a simple consulting offer. This should include:
– Who it’s for
– The specific problem it solves
– What deliverables look like
– What success looks like for the client
Next, suggest 2–3 low-risk ways to test demand before fully committing (for example: pilot projects, advisory roles, or short-term engagements).
Then, help me set a realistic pricing approach based on my experience, value delivered, and desired workload—without complex packages or long contracts.
End by outlining a simple 90-day plan that focuses on clarity, credibility, and first clients—not branding, websites, or scaling.
How this helps you
Instead of guessing or overbuilding, you get clarity. You’ll know whether consulting fits you, what to offer, and how to start in a way that respects your time, finances, and sanity—using the experience you already have.
