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I have yet to work a contract that was a fixed rate. I do have to
provide an estimate of the time it will take, and I definitely have to
determine what tools I'll need and negotiate who'll provide them, but in
the end, I've always worked hourly.
Can you call yourself independent when you work hourly?
Well, look at the life of a contractor: I only charge for the hours I
actually WORKED on the project. I don't charge for the time I spent
estimating the project and negotiating with the client, nor the time I
sat on the phone talking with my friends, or took a break, or went to
get coffee, or filled in my timesheet. . . . If I have a doctor's appt,
I don't get paid for that either. I negotiate who will provide the tools
and where I will perform the work--usually at home. If I am sick, I
don't get paid. If I take vacation, I don't get paid. If I want to work
in the middle of the night, I do it and sleep in the next
morning--unless I'm required to be onsite. I pay for my own health
insurance. I make my own investments for retirement and so forth. If I
need time off, I don't ask for permission. . .I work it into my
schedule.
