Former Assembly Member Nicole Parra, who recently left a job with the Schwarzenegger administration, has opened up her own consulting shop called NMP Consulting -- for Nicole Marie Parra.

The Democrat-turned independent runs the business out of her condo in downtown Fresno and says she has seven clients so far that she assists with government relations, including a school district and engineering firm.

It's only an interim step. By the end of October she expects to launch a similar, but bigger business with a former Republican Assembly Member (not from the Valley). She has no immediate plans to register as a lobbyist.

"I'm going to see how far I can go just consulting," she said. "If I really need to lobby for my clients, then I'll register."

And she's not totally ruled out a return to politics -- but not anytime soon.

"Congress is always something I'd be interested in looking at in the future, but not right now," she said.