Re: Advise for beginners

["Eric J. Ray" <ejray -at- RAYCOMM -dot- COM>]

More additions to the list of advice for new tech writers or
contractors.

*       Find a _good_ accountant who specializes in small businesses.
        Even if you're a full time employee now, you're likely to
        have the opportunity/requirement to moonlight or move
        into consulting sooner rather than later.
        Our accountant costs us around $700/year, all told,
        and is invaluable--he saves us easily twice that annually
        through tax advice and other services.
*       Find a good insurance agent who understands small
        business well. As we've recently learned, some contracts
        will require pretty hefty insurance and the right
        agent can save you a pile of money. For example, purchasing
        $1,000,000 of liability insurance can cost a company like ours
        between $200 and $1400 and can take between .25
        and 2 hours to complete the paperwork/application
        process, depending on the variables.
*       Build and maintain a network of people you know and
        trust for business advice, writing advice, and for
        contacts for future projects as well as potential
        subcontractors when you're overbooked.




*********************************************************
* Eric J. Ray, ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com, http://www.raycomm.com/
* TECHWR-L Listowner, co-author _Mastering HTML 4.0_
*   _HTML 4 for Dummies Quick Reference_, and others.
* RayComm, Inc., currently accepting contract inquiries.