The book
Start Consulting and Fire Your Boss
A practical, no-fluff guide to launching your own consulting business — written by someone who did it and kept doing it, client after client.
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Why I wrote it
After a corporate layoff during COVID, I went back into consulting and landed my first engagement within weeks. Since then it's been a steady run of new clients about every six months. People kept asking how I did it — this book is the answer.
Much of what's covered here can be done while you're still working your 9-to-5, so you can test the process in your spare time before you make the leap.
Who it's for
The experienced professional
You've built real expertise in accounting, finance, operations, or systems — and you're ready to sell it directly instead of through an employer.
The recently laid off
You need income now and want a path that doesn't depend on waiting for the next full-time role to open up.
The side-hustler
You want to build a consulting practice on nights and weekends and prove it works before you resign.
What's inside
Seventeen short chapters that take you from idea to paying clients — with the specific tools, vendors, and shortcuts I actually use.
- Defining your niche
- Differentiating from your competition
- Building your business plan
- Costs and projections
- Marketing and branding your business
- Networking
- Setting up your operations
- Location
- Banking
- Hiring
- Delivering services and managing clients
- What to charge
- Scaling and growing your business
- Increasing revenue and profitability
- Keeping up with industry trends
- Managing expenses and your business status
- Conclusion
A few things you'll walk away with
- A simple formula for setting your hourly rate from your current salary
- Why you should start as a sole proprietor — and when to convert
- How to keep business and personal finances separate so the IRS allows your deductions
- Where to set aside tax money between quarterly payments so it earns interest
- Often-overlooked expenses a consulting business can legitimately run through the company
- How to land your first engagement through recruiters and LinkedIn
Rate formula from the book
Take your current (or last) salary, break it into an hourly rate, and add a premium for benefits.
Salary ÷ 2,080 × 1.25 = your hourly rate
Example: $100,000 ÷ 2,080 = $48/hr × 1.25 = $60/hr. Adjust for experience, scope, and overtime policy.
About the author
Michael Baas is a University of Florida accounting graduate (BS and Master of Accounting) who started his career at Arthur Andersen and has spent 30+ years in controller, VP of Finance, and CFO roles across public and private companies. Today he runs MB Consulting in Nashville, providing fractional CFO services, accounting system implementations, and AI assessments for small businesses.