As an IT professional, I have found that I tend to spread myself too thin. What do I mean? I have found that I tend not to ask for help or do too much digging on my own. Maybe it is my personality. If someone asks me something, anything, about a computer, I feel that I am supposed to know what they want. If I don’t, I look it up. Sure, that works for simple stuff, but I do this for more robust things like SQL issues where I have an extremely limited SQL knowledge. I need to find that one area of the computer world that I am passionate about.

Where am I going with this? I am still working on my current “full time” job and sidelining my computer business. I have found that I need to focus the scope of my business rather than being a jack of all trades. Sure, you have more options when you are a jack of all trades, but you tend not to have the skill set that can command the high dollar consulting figures. I have some time to help narrow my business down. I am planning on doing the sideline until my last child leaves school. During the time between, I plan on gaining a deep skill set in a more focused area so that once I am able to go forward full time with my business, I will be where I need to be.

If you are an IT pro and find that your business seems to be too random, start to look at the skills you really enjoy and develop them more. Find that passionate area that you love more than anything else. You might be amazed at the more opportunities that appear once you become a master in a particular area. Don’t be afraid to ask for help on a particular area that you may not know about. Find people who are knowledgeable in different areas and start you own networking system referring business to each other. Let others in the business know what you are good in and let them know you are available. Want even bigger networking ideas? Look for the next Gnomedex and go nationwide.

[Michael Merry]