Downsized corporations can be a good source of consulting business since they may no longer have experts they need on staff. A big key to success is to be an expert with years of experience or highly specialized knowledge. If you're newly self-employed, market yourself as an expert rather than as a worker. Turn a former employer into a valuable source of new business. Just because you leave a company doesn't mean it doesn't need your services.
Companies often retain the services of former workers on a free-lance or consulting basis.
That way they get the benefit of trained personnel without having to pay payroll taxes and benefits. If you leave a company on good terms, ask about contract or free-lance opportunities. Don't stop with contacts who work with the former employer, either. Call your former employer's suppliers and customers and tell them about your capabilities. Call their competitors, too.