A good consulting firm may have placed several contractors or hundreds of contractors with a single company, and therefore becomes a trusted and reliable source for additional staffing needs. In addition, many companies now require consultants to be represented by a consulting firm. The consulting firm is your employer. Even though you may not be working at their offices, you are the employee of the consulting firm. Since this is the case, you may use the firm to negotiate any needs that you may have for the work site.
Most firms pay their consultants on an hourly basis.
Know your bottom line so that you can be available for any position or assignment that may come up within your skill range. A good consulting firm will know the prevailing market rates and know how to make you competitive, as well as compensated accordingly to your abilities. Maintaining this relationship will allow you to minimize your downtime. You will most likely have some downtime, but it will depend on your hourly rate, your skill set and your experience. You interact with a firm while looking for an initial assignment and then as your time as a consultant lengthens, your relationships and your ability to be part of the team will grow.