Re: #4. I'm a consultant for a company. I bill at like $300 an hour and make something like $40 an hour. That's a hideous pimp cut (86%). You probably can't w

Re: #4. I'm a consultant for a company. I bill at like $300 an hour and make something like $40 an hour. That's a hideous pimp cut (86%). You probably can't work for those clients directly-- I'm sure it's in your contract-- so what you need to do is ask these people, who are paying $300 for you and happy to do so, if they can refer you to friends or other businesses (who might be their own side projects) that might be willing to meet you, individually, in the $100-150/hour range. Your contract may prohibit you from cutting out your employer for an existing client, but says nothing about leads you get while on a job. Given how badly you're getting screwed, your top priority in each gig should be to get leads that support your independent consulting efforts.