Re: 1099 -- What to ask?

[Peter <pnewman1 -at- home -dot- com>]

Andrew Plato wrote:
> 
> Wally makes a really good point here.
> 
> Many times, what your client wants and what you think they should do, don't
> coincide. When you're a full-time employee, you're expected to have more of a
> stake in the company and therefore, presumably you have more say.
> 
> But as a freelancer, a lot of times the rules are dictated to you. You have to
> find a way to make the deal work given a set of rules.
> 
> Good freelancers are creative and resourceful and can find solutions to
> difficult or less-than-ideal circumstances.  Bad freelancers blame the company
> for failing to see their wisdom.
> 
> Companies make dumb decisions. But as a freelancer you often have go along with
> those dumb decisions, even if it means it will take longer or produce an
> inferior product.

	Many companies will take advice from freelancers, rather than their own
employees. The freelancer may not be subject to internal politics and if
things go wrong, there is a convenient scapegoat. More importantly, the
perceived needs come out wrong because of an inability, or reluctance by
management, to explain the entire situation. A good freelancer must be
able to gently probe in order to get an accurate response. If you ask
the wrong question, you will inevitably get the wrong answer. Asking the
right questions, diplomatically is an art. Without that ability the
writer you may just as well be a drone worker. 



-- 
Peter

"When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a 
minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute-and it's 
longer than any hour. That's relativity," - Einstein-