Get as close to the money as possible (for me this was B2B tech sales) and look for big pain points that you can solve. Typically the bigger pain points are around things that are costing these companies lots of money, either directly or indirectly with opportunity costs. If you can legitimately solve a $10,000 problem for a company or bring them $10,000 in revenue, it's not hard to sell them on $5000 in consulting fees. Hourly consulting can be "quick money," but at least for me one offs aren't really worth it. You often spend as much time or more with small clients for little gigs as you would with bigger reoccurring clients that you understand more and more over time, making you even more invaluable to them. If you can't get your foot in the door with a client any other way than a few hours of consulting, then do it, but relying on little consulting gigs to eat gets stressful fast. I recommend reading Personal MBA or Pumpkin Plan for tips on using the 80/20 rule to make "bigger money" faster. It's not magic and it takes a lot of hard work, but if you're going to work hard you should also work smart. If you want more specific advice on how I built my consulting practice, message me.

I think good life partners for entrepreneurs need patience and empathy. Being an entrepreneur is demanding and has its ups and downs, so you need to find someone who is understanding and supportive. Someone with flexible expectations is better able to cope with the lifestyle of an entrepreneur in terms of work life balance. For some people, it's nice to be with other entrepreneurs and startup founders when you can, but this can also be a recipe for disaster if you're both running on high energy all the time. My boyfriend and I are both entrepreneurs (he founded a YC company and I am a consultant for startups). We both value: 1) The ability to brainstorm with each other 2) Having someone who provides useful and genuine feedback about our ideas/products/strategies (even when it has sharp criticisms). 3) Having someone who drives you forward when your motivation is running low. 4) Balance. We both have a lot in common, but we aren't twins. He likes to procrastinate and I finish things early. I'm extroverted and he's introverted. While these are challenges for some, the differences in our personalities and life experiences are what enhances our relationship. About Me: I specialize in copywriting and sales/marketing consulting. I take the approach of an economist and apply that to my work to understand how to create persuasive messaging for target audiences. Check out www.salesfolk.com for more information.