Re: Contract rates

[Joe Fockler <jfockler -at- IPHASE -dot- COM>]

"Ronnie's 1986 Tax Simplification" ???  Congress makes the laws
and levies taxes if I remember my American Government correctly.

Joe

According to
Andrew Davis : +  + Maria --

+ Contract rates are a function of the contractor's and client's (relative)
+ ability to negotiate, and what the market will bear.  In the Silicon Valley
+ (to expand on what Corinne Stefanick, Temp2%GMP%Chiron -at- LARRY -dot- CHIRON -dot- COM,
 said),
+ the variables are:

+         1 Does the contractor have recent, hands-on experience with your tools
+           and
+  technology (preferably for a competitor)?
+         2 Is the client unlikely to find someone else who fits their
 'technical
+           background wish-list'?
+         3 Is the product complex, conceptual, and intended for sophisticated
+           users (as opposed to simple, procedural, and intended for end
 users)?
+         4 Is the deadline unreasonably tight or ambitious (a factor of how
 much
+           work is needed in a given period to do a decent job the first time)?
+         5 Are information resources unavailable, unhelpful, or resentful?
+         6 Does the contractor have to be onsite all or most of the time (as
+           opposed to being allowed to telecommute from their home office)?
+         7 Will the contractor only get paid within 45-60 days (typical of big
+           companies) or within ~10 days of invoice?
+         8 Will the contractor get paid net (with taxes withheld, as if they
+           were a temp employee -- brokers do this to us a lot) or gross (with
+           no taxes withheld)?
+         9 Does the contractor have to work through a broker? (Big companies
+           think they're protecting themselves this way -- they are NOT.  I can
+           explain, if you have a couple hours to listen.  It has to do with
+           Section 1706 of Ronnie's 1986 'Tax Simplification' Act, and the
 IRS's
+           20
+  Questions.)

+ In all cases, if the answer is yes, experienced contractors will:

+  * (in items 1 and 2) know that they have little competition and therefore not
+    try too hard to bid competitively.
+  * (in items 3 through 9) anticipate frustration and raise their rates
+    proportionately to offset the (perceived) inconvenience.

+ I hope this helps.

+ - Andrew Davis
+   President, San Francisco Chapter, STC
+   (on contract at Verity in Mountain View, CA)

+      ____________________________________________________________________
+     /                                                                    \
+    /   *                        Andrew Davis                          *   \
+   /                     Synergistech Communications Inc.                   \
+  /          Publications Management and Technical Writing Services          \
+ /                                                                            \
+ \                                                                            /
+  \        Tel       415.344-2141        MCI Mail  adavis -at- netcom -dot- com         /
+   \       Fax       415.344-5664        UUCP      uunet!netcom!adavis      /
+    \   *  Internet  adavis -at- netcom -dot- com   The WELL  adavis -at- netcom -dot- com   *   /
+     \____________________________________________________________________/


+ }From TECHWR-L -at- VM1 -dot- ucc -dot- okstate -dot- edu Fri Oct 22 12:19:58 1993
+ }Return-Path: <TECHWR-L -at- VM1 -dot- ucc -dot- okstate -dot- edu>
+ }Date:         Fri, 22 Oct 1993 14:57:35 -0400
+ }Reply-To: "Technical Writers List; for all Technical Communication issues"
+          <TECHWR-L -at- VM1 -dot- ucc -dot- okstate -dot- edu>
+ }Sender: "Technical Writers List; for all Technical Communication issues"
+        <TECHWR-L -at- VM1 -dot- ucc -dot- okstate -dot- edu>
+ }From: Maria Townsley <maria -at- MSD -dot- MEASUREX -dot- COM>
+ }Subject:      Contract rates
+ }Comments: To: TECHWR-L -at- vm1 -dot- ucc -dot- okstate -dot- edu
+ }To: Multiple recipients of list TECHWR-L <TECHWR-L -at- OSUVM1 -dot- BITNET>
+ }Content-Length: 603
+ }
+ }What is the average rate for a contract writer?  When I looked for a contract
+ }writer earlier in the year, I received resumes that requested salaries at
+ }the low and high end of a h*u*g*e range.  What are the going rates right now?
+ }What kind of factors affect the salary (i.e., job duties, length of contract,
+ }etc.)
+ }
+ }Thanks,
+ }Maria
+ }
+ }
+ }Domain: maria -at- msd -dot- measurex -dot- com       Maria Townsley  Technical Publications
+ }  UUCP: ...uunet!mxmsd!maria         Measurex Management Systems Division
+ } Voice: (513)-825-3931 x-316         1280 Kemper Meadow Drive
+ }   Fax: (513)-825-5393               Cincinnati, Ohio 45240