To gain clients you need to market your services. This is especially important when starting out as IT consultant. To market effectively you need to identify your target market (which may depend on your skills and experience) and to find the most cost-effective way to sell it. It can be thought of as the 4 P's:

• Product: offering the right product or service for your market.

• Price: selling it for an amount deemed worth it by your target client.

• Promotion: communicating a message that leads to sales.

• Place: distributing your product or service to locations where you can find it.

Don't undercharge as you may find it difficult to raise your fees later. Research what to charge before you start promoting.

Promotion can be via advertising, which can be expensive. Specialist computer magazines or the computer sections of the major broadsheets would probably be the best publications.

Use your website for advertising. Put your website address on your business card. Carry some cards around with you wherever you go. When you have satisfied clients ask them for a testimonial that you can post on your site.

Aim for the right companies and government departments that will suit your skills and experience.

You need to network, i.e. be actively involved in the IT industry. You should consider joining IT groups such as the Australian Computer Society, regularly attend courses and conferences. Not only do you keep up with the latest changes in technology and software updates, but you meet like-minded people who are working in the industry. And remember have those business cards with you to hand out. A lot of work is gained by word of mouth. So use your mouth. Talk to people!

You should up keep in contact with your university friends and former workmates in the industry. You can even send work to each other. Say you're snowed under and you just can't take on another client at the moment. You could then recommend a friend to the client. Your friend could do the same for you.

You also need to be an innovator. Don't just let a potential client tell you what they want and how they want it. Think about it and see if you can come up with a better way that will be more effective or cost them less. If you need to go away and think about it, do so. Do some research if necessary. Look it up. As an IT professional you should have a large collection of books and magazines that you can refer to. Remember you can claim these on your tax return.

Also look at your goals for your business. What do you want to achieve and when? The SMART principle can help. This stands for goals which are:

• Specific

• Measurable

• Achievable

• Realistic/relevant

• Timeframed

Think about how many projects you want to do per year, and the sorts of clients you'd like to take on. Do you need to learn new skills? Perhaps you might consider employing subcontractors. Can you afford them? Is a loan a possibility? Also remember everyone needs some time off. You need to incorporate holidays into your business plan.