Re: Contracting

[Bill Baker <bill -at- MEDIATRANSITIONS -dot- COM>]

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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