A graduate from college these days faces lots of decisions, but one of them is whether to work for a big company or go into business for themselves as a consultant. Of course, with the economy the way it is, more and more people are finding that there is a 3rd solution: do both. If you have a 9-to-5 job during the week, you can always run a little side business on evenings and weekends after work—you just have to be willing to give up things like sleeping and eating.

The big plus of consulting (assuming you’re doing it on your own, rather than working for a consulting giant, which would then qualify as “working for a big company”) is that you get to set your own hours. At least that what people will tell you. The thing is, unless you’re a pretty disciplined type of person, that can come back to haunt you. Because there’s a reason why companies want you to work 9-to-5: that’s when everybody else is working, too. So if you call up your clients at midnight and tell them you have some time available, it’s not very likely you’ll receive a positive response. To say the least.

On the other hand, there’s nothing like the drudgery of a 9-to-5 job to kill every last creative instinct you’ve ever had if it’s a job you loathe. Or even just aren’t very passionate about. Most people who end up working for a firm like IBM or HP do so because they have a passion for the work. But when they see that there is little to no follow-through on a particular product, or that the creative process can involves dozens or even hundreds of people in a corporate environment rather than the creative frenzy of a single individual, these people become discouraged. They require extra coffee to make it in the morning.

So, what’s the solution? First of all, it helps to have realistic expectatations going in. The fact is that most start-ups fail—and that includes your consulting business, too. Understand that it will be a lot of work at first to get things going, and that there will be no one to prod you into doing the work. If you don’t do, no one will—and that can mean the difference between you getting a new client, or the guy down the street getting him. Understand that for a long time, you probably will get paid less (often, a lot less) than someone working at a big company that’s just punching the clock. If you think you’ve got what it takes, and you have a solid business plan put together, go for it.

On the hand, if you’re the kind of person that doesn’t take out the garbage until the worms come, and the dishes pile up in the sink ‘till they’re furry, you might want to look at working for someone else. Assuming you’ve gotten offers from someone else. Because it can actually be very rewarding to put in a hard day’s work and get paid for it at the end of the week. Why else do you think so many people do it?

David Turner enjoys answering students’ questions, for example, what students can expect from a computer technician salary.

Finding the right physical therapist for you child takes some work. You would never take your child to any healthcare provider who you didn’t know anything about so you need to do some digging. Here are 6 great sites for finding the right physical therapist for your child along with what you want to look for once you have some options.

Specializes In Child Physical Therapy

You need a physical therapist that specializes in child physical therapy. Physical therapy is not exactly the same for both children and adults so you want someone who will know the best way to treat your child using physical therapy. Pediatric physical therapists know not only how to create a program of effective exercises to help your child reach goals but also how to make those exercises fun enough to get a child to do them.

An Expert

You may or may need a physical therapist with an even more specified field of expertise than pediatric therapy. It is possible that you will require one who knows how to treat certain injuries or disorders if your child’s condition is uncommon or you could seek out a specialist just if there is one out there with the right expertise and you want one. You will most likely know if you need an expert in a particular area from talking to whoever told you your child could benefit from physical therapy.

Conveniently Located

You want a pediatric physical therapist that is conveniently located. While you would go to the ends of the earth for your child, there is no reason to do so when there are skilled physical therapists all over the place. When you start looking for a physical therapist for your child, pay close attention to where they are located.

A Trusted Source

Whether you get the name of a physical therapist from one of the 6 great sites below or not, you should make sure that you are getting a recommendation from a trusted source. You don’t want just any physical therapist. You want a good one. Make sure that you get one.

Someone You Trust

When you consider having someone as your child’s physical therapist you want to meet with this person and see their facility. If someone is going to be treating your child then you need to be able to trust that person. Take the time to be sure that you trust the skills and overall demeanor of whomever you choose.

A Web Site Is Not Enough

It should be clear to anyone looking for a physical therapist for their child that the presence of a name on a web site is not enough. You want a pediatric physical therapist with a respected name. You can ask around to see if your friends or your doctor know anything about a pediatric physical therapist you are considering. Someone will probably know something and be able to put your mind at ease or to let you know to keep looking.

6 Great Sites For Finding The Right Pediatric Physical Therapist

1. Physical Therapy Directory
2. Find A Therapist
3. Therapeutic Directory
4. SelectaPT.com
5. Physical Therapy Clinic Directory
6. Find A PT

T.H. Rheinecker writes about how to find which schools offer the best physical therapist assistant programs.