IECH One of the attractions of independent consulting can be the ability to choose your own ethical practices instead of living by someone else's. Your ethics can provide a foundation that will help you avoid a host of problems and grow a strong client base.
Many independent consultants learn lessons about ethical business practices the hard way.
Consider the experience of a Midwest insurance company consultant. When he learned the smaller company didn't have the budget to pay his typical daily rate, he agreed to work for less because of the benefits of serving two clients in the same city. The clients met at a local industry professional gathering and discovered that they were working with the same consultant and, unfortunately for the consultant, at different rates. The first client understandably believed the consultant's business practice was unethical. Even if the two clients hadn't discussed the issue, the consultant may have seemed unethical to the smaller company.