The Good Consultant, getting started......

As a first time blogger I'm not quite sure what to do first so its probably best to introduce myself.

My name is Huseyin Djemil, and I've spent the last 15 years working in the UK drug treatment sector. In June of 2007 I decided to leave full time employment as a Civil Servant at the Home Office to become a freelance consultant within the drug treatment field, hence the cheesy title of this blog.

Consulting and the whole Freelance thing is something I've wanted to do for a while and I hoped I could do it on the side in order to build up a business that I could jump into later on. Life never seems to work out as planned and I left a well paid job, with a months pay in lieu and went Freelance.

Its been a roller coaster 6-months, during which time I have questioned (almost daily) my decision to leave the comfort of a well paid and senior management position to become a self employed, 'one man band'.

Despite the fear its also been quite an amazing time. I have found enough work to get by and have just about got the memory of my daily commute into London behind me. I no longer have to endure the 2.5hr trip into the Home Office at Marsham Street and now work out of my own small 'home office' which is approx. 25 steps from my bedroom!

For the first time in ages, I've had the whole of Christmas off this year and spent quality time with the family, attending all the school plays and activities that my sons have been involved in. I hardly use my car any more and am even considering giving it up as it hardly seems worth keeping it taxed, insured and maintained for such random use.

I have enough work on the books for January, and possibly February too. I've just packed smoking in (as of tonight) and am deciding, literally as I write this, to use this blog to chart my progress, experiences and any ups and downs as a freelance consultant during the coming year.

I hope I can keep writing as the weeks and months trickle by and I hope that if you read this, you will find some thing of interest during the coming year.