I think it's important to make a distinction between "doing consulting work" and "selling consulting work". I'm bootstrapping, and I'll do consulting work for

I think it's important to make a distinction between "doing consulting work" and "selling consulting work". I'm bootstrapping, and I'll do consulting work for clients I've worked with in the past, or with people who seek me out specifically. There's no doubt that doing consulting work takes time from my business. However, I think it's an hour-per-hour trade-off -- overall, I haven't found that consulting work decreases my motivation. On the other hand, selling consulting work can be stressful and exhausting; especially if you really need the money and you're not accustomed to selling. (And if you don't really need the money, then why do it at all?) Some other thoughts: 1. If you get bad vibes from a potential client, politely walk away. 2. The more they pay you, the more they respect you. 3. Your client doesn't care about your startup, nor should they need to.