Productised consulting from your former profession: what it really takes.
Researched October 2026. Start-up costs were researched in Australian dollars and converted at approximate rates. Hours are the minimum to keep it moving. First income is how long a first paid job or sale often takes, not a promise.
What you'd do
Package what you used to do into a fixed-scope, fixed-price offer: a policy audit, a returning-to-work CV sprint, a grant-readiness review, a marketing check. Report plus action list in one to two weeks.
Who pays
Small businesses, not-for-profits and individuals who know your field needs doing and do not want to hire for it.
How people usually find customers
LinkedIn and former colleagues first; Expert360 and Upwork Project Catalog later.
The catch
Needs a credible prior career and a warm network; some professions hit licensing walls (legal, financial advice, tax work).
Still unknown
Package price for your field (resume tiers AU$300-1,000 are the one AU benchmark found, EST). We'd rather say so than guess.
Rules to check
Wherever you live, check how self-employed income is taxed, when you need to register, and whether this kind of work is regulated. Our rules guides cover Australia, the US, the UK, Canada and New Zealand, with sources and dates, inside the Income Fit Test.
Fit before hustle.
This idea might be perfect or a terrible fit, depending on your week. The Income Fit Test checks it against your hours, budget, skills and where you live, then gives you a dated 14-day test with lines for when to stop.
Similar ideas
General information only: not financial, legal or tax advice, and not a forecast of what you'll earn. Spot something out of date? Write to hello@herlittleempire.com and we'll fix it and say so.