“You know,” he said, “I guess I’m just not much of a corporate guy. I think I’ll do better if I go out on my own. (pull)You do pretty well, don’t you?”(/pull)

Yes, thanks, I do. But I did pretty well as an employee, too. I didn’t want to say anything on the spot, but at some more opportune time, I’d like to let my friend know that getting along, fitting in and adapting yourself to the culture you’re working in is equally important and a little more difficult when you’re self-employed than when you’re an employee.

Whether you’re working within a company or as an external partner or consultant, you’ve still got to play on the team and that means knowing how to adapt to the prevailing culture.

In Canada, the federal government is encouraging families to be prepared for emergencies by having enough food, water and other supplies for 72 hours in case of weather disasters or other emergencies like black outs. You can find information at www.getprepared.ca

In the United States, the program is called Ready America — www.ready.gov — and it includes not only an emergency plan that people can implement in their homes but a plan for businesses. Every business should have an emergency plan, the site advises. (pull)“It can save lives, assets and your entire business”.(/pull)

Good advice, no doubt, but beyond the disasters that affect a whole community, small businesses — whether you’re one guy with three employees or an independent consultant working out of your home office — need a plan to deal with individual disasters.

First, and foremost, you need to protect your data and records. The day you open your office door to find that your computer has been stolen, you’ll wish you had a safe, off site back up system in place. Back up will also protect you from computer failure.

Second, you have to protect your clients by having a fallback plan that will ensure their work is completed if you fall off the ski lift or need gall bladder surgery. Call together a group of people who do the same thing as you do and create an informal mutual support network. Be sure you pick people who are going to give your clients back when you’re back in business!

Third, do you know what to do if your workspace floods? If there’s an interruption in your power? If the air conditioning or heat quits? Make a list of resources that can help you if the time comes.

Finally, a 72-hour emergency kit just like the home in your home should be in place in your workplace, sufficient for you and your employees. In some extreme emergencies, you may have to “shelter-in-place” and not go home. If anyone on your staff is disabled, be sure you’re prepared for their special needs.

For most, that opportunity means much more than the skill development or new knowledge associated with the course. There’s the interaction with peers — an important bonus if you’re the only one who does what you do within your company – and there’s a new credential for your resume. More, when the workshop or seminar is out-of-town, there’s the fillip of little holiday. But most important, there are new contacts. Every career move I made before becoming self-employed involved being recruited by someone I’d met at a course or seminar paid for by my soon-to-be-former boss.

(pull)Once I was self-employed, however, courses and workshops disappeared from my life. My new boss — me! — was pretty stingy and I was too busy building a business to notice.(/pull) Even so, it didn’t take long before I began to feel a little “out of the loop” professionally and more than a little isolated. Later – rather than sooner, I’m sorry to say – I realized that it was time to get back to “school”, even if I had to pay up myself.

Not surprisingly, those costs can be steep. A couple of days at a conference can easily cost $1,000, not including accommodation; even a lunch seminar is going to set you back the best part of $100. (Never mind the hours you’re not billing.) Of course, you can deduct the relevant costs, but it’s not quite the same as investing in promotion or advertising.

That said, professional development really is business development. It may seem as though learning more about your profession amongst your peers is unlikely to generate clients, but, in truth, sooner or later those peers are going to find themselves overwhelmed with work. They’re going to be looking for a partner to take on part of a project or someone to whom they can hand off a client with confidence.

Upgrading your skills doesn’t only keep you current, it’s a sure-fire recipe for doing more business.