Christopher Hawkins
clh at christopherhawkins.com
Thu Aug 19 10:31:34 CDT 2004
A simple NDA should cover their concerns about data. You might need to take a vacation day or two to get this done. Although the bulk of your work will probably be done in the evenings and on weekends, a couple of proper business-day visits will probably be helpful. As to how to get started, find out two things: 1) Who is the project sponsor - the person tasked with making it happen, and 2) who is responsible for approving the project and cutting your check. Take both of these people to lunch and pick their brains as to what they need. You might want to visit their office during your lunch hour as well to take a look at what they're currently doing so you can get a feel for where they're coming from. Good luck. -Christopher- ---- Original Message ---- From: Mark.Mitsules at ngc.com To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com, Subject: RE: [AccessD] RE: [dba-OT] Contract Work - Time Sensitive Question : x-posted d ba-OT Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2004 09:44:26 -0400 >There are a myriad of potential problems I see going into this...I'm >just >hoping I don't talk myself out of it before I give it a chance. >Primarily, >I'm assuming that the work will have to be done on-site due to the >sensitive >nature of the data. That alone raises time issues...I have a >40-hour job >already...are they going to be willing to allow me to work late into >the >evening or on weekends outside of "their" normal working hours? > >Mark > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Pickering, Stephen [mailto:Stephen.Pickering at caremark.com] >Sent: Thursday, August 19, 2004 9:16 AM >To: 'dba-ot at databaseadvisors.com'; [AccessD] >Subject: [AccessD] RE: [dba-OT] Contract Work - Time Sensitive >Question : >x-posted d ba-OT > > ><kidding> Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!! </kidding> > >I don't know how universal it is, but for me, a good rule of thumb >has >been this: If the client thinks it should be easy, it will be very >complex; if the client thinks it will be really hard to do, it will >be >very easy, and the client will be easily impressed. > >I would give them an hourly rate for you to do an analysis of what >they >need and what the environment is. Take this information to give >them an >estimate, based on time and materials, for you to complete the task. >Provide an additional estimate for your time with beta testing >issues and >support, if need be. > >This sounds like a lot, I know, for what seems like a simple task. >Sometimes, however, it is the simple tasks that mutate from scope >creep, >and you find yourself in a never-ending quagmire where you don't get >paid >for your work, and neither you nor the client is happy. > >HTH, > >Steve > > > >----- Mark S. Mitsules' Original Message----- > >If anyone has 5-10 minutes to spare, I'd appreciate your thoughts on >the >following scenario. A co-worker has just given my name/number to a >small >medical office that is looking for some custom work. The 2 second >description was "create a report based on data from several >databases". > >Now many of you, I'm sure, have been approached by clients who have >received >several quotes of hourly rates and were put off at the high prices >and no >estimation as to time of completion. First question, how do you >address >the >customer's concern knowing full well that without a fairly accurate >scope >of >work, you would most likely have answered similarly to everyone else? > >At face value, the project seems like a cake walk;) However, the >unknown >variables have me concerned. I'm sure many of you, when you first >began, >may have started out this way, without the structure of business >licenses, >contracts, insurance, etc. What I'm politely asking is, what is an >acceptable way for me to approach this? At the moment, this is a >one-off >situation that I would like to handle in the simplest manner >possible. >Again, politely, what I'm not asking for is suggestions to hire an >attorney, >an accountant, set up an LLC, etc. In the short term, many people >have >worked this way in the past successfully...I'm just hoping to get >some >idea >of best practices. > >Thank you, > > >Mark > >-- >_______________________________________________ >AccessD mailing list >AccessD at databaseadvisors.com >http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd >Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com >-- >_______________________________________________ >AccessD mailing list >AccessD at databaseadvisors.com >http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd >Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > Respectfully, Christopher Hawkins Managing Developer http://www.christopherhawkins.com