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Subject:Re: Anyone ever heard of this book or program From:Janet Murphy <janet -at- fuse -dot- net> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 13 Nov 2002 09:56:12 -0500
Here's a broad brush:
1. Incorporate yourself.
2. Locate a good solid client + 1-2 smaller clients w/ work at hand. You need to have work right out of the gate.
3. Find a good small business-focused tax accountant so you only have to minimally worry about the tax end.
4. Hire a payroll service so you don't have to mess w/payroll taxes. The payroll service should send quarterly reports to your tax accountant and auto-submit your payroll taxes to the
govt.
5. Pay yourself 1x a month (that is a big hurdle for most people, but it minimizes the charges from the payroll service).
6. Network, network, network.
7. Invest in your business -- buy software, buy a business phone line, have professional letterhead, take classes regularly. You will be competing with the big contracting companies, so
be able to offer what they offer.
8. Don't try to obtain business by [severely] undercutting on price. You will regret it.
9. Keep your friends close and your competitors closer.
10. Set a *reasonable* goal for revenues the 1st year. Mine was to work 50% less time while making the same amount of salary as the agency paid me. In reality, I work the same amount or
more, but now I'm on my schedule instead of the agency's. I have the freedom to say "No" to a project. I can live w/that.
Good luck!!
janet murphy
cincinnati oh.
Wade Courtney wrote:
> <snip>
> I would be interested in any help I can get about going independent. I've read the stuff on techwr-l but I want to hear more about getting started and the least painful way to do it.
2. "If you dillydally around and try to please everybody, be it for some political calculation or some social calculation, it will always to come back to bite you."
--- Rush Limbaugh
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