Re: Contracting

[Michelle Nolan <nolanmj -at- HOTMAIL -dot- COM>]

It is very encouraging to hear the demand for contract work is great.
What are the most effective ways to find business?

Thanks for your help-

Michelle

>From techwr-l -at- listserv -dot- okstate -dot- edu Fri Sep 19 10:30:28 1997
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>Date:         Fri, 19 Sep 1997 12:31:13 -0500
>Reply-To:     Bill Baker <bill -at- MEDIATRANSITIONS -dot- COM>
>Sender:       "Technical Writers List; for all Technical Communication
issues"
>              <TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU>
>From:         Bill Baker <bill -at- MEDIATRANSITIONS -dot- COM>
>Subject:      Re: Contracting
>Comments: To: "Tony G. Rocco" <trocco -at- navis -dot- com>
>To:           TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
>
>Tony,
>
>There are downsides, but not the items you may expect.  Contractors
rarely
>work alone.  The average job seems to involve 2-3 key personnel donated
by
>the client.  Having your own equipment, and paying your taxes are
benefits.
>
>The downsides from my perspective:
>
>--Full understanding of the client's vision.  Difficult when the client
is
>not forthcoming.
>--Questionable availablility of client's key personnel.
>--Getting paid at times specified in the contract.
>
>Upsides:
>
>--No one will accuse you of creating a hostile workplace.
>--Amount of work available.  You will find that you turn away 50% of
the
>business offered.
>
>What is the number one thing a client can do to help the contractor?
>
>--Give me a key person with some clout!  If I visit my future client
>liaison, only to find him/her in a 6x6 cubicle with no window, it let's
me
>know the relative priority of the project.
>
>Regards,
>Bill
>www.mediatransitions.com
>
>Tony wrote:
>>
>> It's great hearing all the pro's of contracting, but I would like to
hear
>> what people consider to be downside - finding work, working alone,
>keeping
>> one's skills current, paying one's own taxes, buying one's own
equipment,
>> etc. Would any contractors care to discuss some of those issues with
an
>eye
>> toward how they deal with them?
>>
>> - tgr
>>
>>
>> ___________________________________
>>
>
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