My husband recently handed me the June 13, 2026, issue of The Economist and said, “You might find the Bartleby column interesting.” As I read "The Prioritisation Problem," I could not help but think about the uncomfortable truth it highlighted, one I had experienced myself and have seen among professionals who leave the corporate world.

The article's theme is simple:

Although the article examines prioritization inside organizations, the same challenge plagues independent consultants, particularly those with years of experience. The versatility that made you a valuable professional inside an organization can create ambiguity within your own consulting business unless you decide which aspects of your experience matter to the business you are building.

The Double-Edged Sword

When you work inside an organization, your versatility is an asset. You are expected to manage several initiatives, solve different types of problems, lead teams, oversee budgets, and move between strategic and operational work.

That range of experience does not suddenly lose its value when you build your own business. It may help you see connections others miss, understand the broader implications of a problem, and work effectively across organizational boundaries.

Broad experience is not the problem. It may actually be one of your greatest strengths. The real problem is failing to establish priorities.

When it comes to your own business, your versatility needs direction. Potential clients must understand how your experience applies to their specific problems and the results they want to achieve. Without clear priorities, your business becomes harder for you to explain—and harder for others to understand.

The Illusion of “Doing It All”

As the Bartleby column in The Economist points out, the trouble with prioritization is that when everything becomes a priority, nothing is a priority. In the corporate world, you have an operational infrastructure and a team to help you manage shifting priorities. In your own consulting business, your time is finite, and shifting priorities only add chaos to an already hectic schedule.

In How to Win at the Sport of Business: If I Can Do It, You Can Do It, billionaire entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban makes the same point:

For many experienced independent consultants who struggle to create clients or remain caught in a feast-or-famine cycle, lack of expertise is not the issue. They have not decided which expertise to build upon and which to keep in the background.

Reluctant to close any possible door, many consultants market themselves as a "full-service solution." They use "we" when the business consists of one person and offer a laundry list of services because they fear excluding work they are capable of doing. They try to show potential clients everything they can do.

The result is often the opposite of what they intended. Instead of appearing highly capable, they can appear unfocused. Potential clients are left unsure what these consultants do exceptionally well, which problems they solve, and whether their expertise applies to them.

True Focus Means Saying No

Determining the right priorities is not a new concept, but that does not make it easy. One of my favorite examples comes from what Steve Jobs did after returning to Apple in 1997.

At that time, the company was struggling financially. It had too many product lines and was moving in too many directions.

Jobs response to the challenges was to simplify. He made difficult decisions about which products and initiatives Apple would continue and which ones Apple would stop doing. The company reduced its product line and organized its computer strategy around a four-product grid: consumer and professional computers, each with a desktop and portable option.

As Jobs explained to employees at Apple’s 1997 Worldwide Developers Conference, not every idea or project that fell outside those priorities was necessarily bad. Some of the ideas and projects were quite good. That is what makes prioritization difficult. It requires rejecting worthwhile ideas when they do not serve the larger direction of the business.

During a 2008 conversation with journalist Betsy Morris and later recounted in Wired, Jobs described focus this way:

I sometimes wonder what would have happened at Apple if Jobs hadn’t been willing to say no. The situation is different for an independent consultant, but the underlying decision they need to make is similar.

A potential client engagement may be appealing. The problem the client needs solved may fall within your capabilities, and the work may provide needed revenue. But not every viable opportunity belongs in your business. True prioritization means deciding which opportunities strengthen what you want to be known for and which ones pull your attention, time, and business in another direction.

What Are You Willing to Stop Doing?

Whether you have been consulting for a short time or many years, some of the most critical decisions you make involve what you will no longer do.

Your focus is not only about the work you want to do. It is also about what you are willing to stop doing, stop chasing, or stop trying to explain to potential clients. It is about asking yourself:

• What type of client is not a fit for you?
• Which client problems are you choosing not to solve, and which opportunities will you no longer pursue?
• What services are you willing to tell a potential client you do not provide?

These are not merely marketing decisions. They shape how you use your expertise, allocate your time, and build your business.

Giving Your Experience Direction

When you avoid making these hard decisions, a potential client may look at your impressive background and still walk away because they can’t determine what problem you solve or whom you serve.

Clients do not need to understand everything you are capable of doing. They need to understand why your experience matters to the problem they have and how you can help them achieve the outcome they want.

Prioritization is not simply a time-management technique. It is a strategic discipline that gives your business direction and coherence.

Your broad experience does not need to be discarded. It needs to be given direction. Use it as a strategic asset, but decide what you want to become known for and whom you want to serve.

The next time you are tempted to chase a vague opportunity or add another service, ask yourself:

Until next time,

Laura Burford

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​Business Core for Independent Consultants ​
Business Core is a supported consulting business program for independent consultants who want to build their business with greater clarity and focus as to what they are known for, who they serve, and how to differentiate themselves. If you’re wondering whether Business Core is the right next step for you, schedule a free 45-minute Business Core Strategy Session to explore whether it’s a fit.

​Resources to Support You ​
Practical guides and tools designed to give you clarity and help you move forward including:

• ​The Business Core Snapshot: A short assessment to help you look at your Focus, Ideal Client, and Service Offering and identify where your business foundation may need more clarity or alignment.
• ​The Independent Consultant’s Blueprint©: Your guide to confidence and building a successful business.
• ​The Consultant Assessment: An assessment of the five blueprint pillars to help you understand where you are today and what to focus on next.
• ​Seven Strategies to Stand Out as an Independent Consultant: Practical ways to become the "Go-To" expert you want to be.

​Self-Study Courses​
Two self-study courses based on the Consulting Mastery program are available for a limited time.

• Creating Trusted Relationships: Become Known, Build Trust, and Create Opportunities
• Engage with Your Client: Move from Discovery to Proposal

​YouTube Channel​
Educational videos and interviews based on the Consultant’s Blueprint©. Topics include defining your focus, attracting the right clients, building trusted relationships, and more.

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Have a question? Send me an email at Laura@lauraburford.com.

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