Re: Contract rates

Subject: Re: Contract rates
From: Joe Fockler <jfockler -at- IPHASE -dot- COM>
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 1993 10:36:25 -0500

"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


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