[AccessD] freelancing job sites (OT Reply)

Jim Lawrence accessd at shaw.ca
Fri Sep 2 15:43:27 CDT 2011


Hi Shamil:

With my old time clients any new technology has to be careful
implemented...they do not like new especially if it looks too different. The
slow refinement method works best. ;-)

I have been quietly moving my clients to the web/SQL and as long as I have
been able to emulate the old forms in design, layout and features they are
very happy.

Most new younger client's want instant gratification, absolute perfection
and it all done very cheap. The choices are; Good, Fast and cheap; pick any
two. I like to modularize applications so a project can be allowed to evolve
over a length of time with lots of user assistance. A long-term 'insurance
and incremental development' policy is the goal of course.

I try to never 're-invent the wheel'. I use existing apps and technology as
long as it makes my job easier and moves the project ahead. Some clients are
'early adopters', they really like any technology that is new and shiny, and
they tend to be the ones willing and capable of paying for the learning
curve. The only thing is that, I may end up supporting a technology that
fades fast. MS Silverlight comes to mind as it has been superseded by the
industry standards of HTML5 as even Adobe is abandoning their Flash product
in favour of the standard: www.adobe.com/EdgePreview (HTML5/CSS3 web
builder)

I agree that it is good to know when to divorce a customer or never become
acquainted.

Jim
  

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Shamil
Salakhetdinov
Sent: Friday, September 02, 2011 11:22 AM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] freelancing job sites (OT Reply)

Hi Jim --

I guess your clients do have got developed strong business thanks to your
good software development work for them - that seems to be the key point for
a freelancing carrier success. Although there exist so many "prospect
customers" who are trying to "save a penny" by burning out freelancers.
Therefore additionally to 'must have' constant mastering of software
development skills and learning by doing the new technologies every
freelancer should also master the art of selecting (and
nurturing/cultivating) "good" customers and ignoring the "bad" ones...

Thank you.

--
Shamil

 
-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Jim Lawrence
Sent: 2 ???????? 2011 ?. 20:51
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] freelancing job sites (OT Reply)

I have six clients that I have been supporting for over 15 years...the
oldest one is 24 years. There is not a system that cannot be improved and I
never mention, to any of them, how much they have paid me in total. When
cost is discussed, we talk about our dealings as an extended insurance
policy and everyone seems happy.

Jim
 

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of jwcolby
Sent: Monday, August 22, 2011 1:41 PM
To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
Subject: Re: [AccessD] freelancing job sites (OT Reply)

9 years and 240K later one of my clients is still adding to the system I
write for them (in Access). 
  I started in July 2002.  We are about to migrate the data to SQL Server.

John W. Colby
www.ColbyConsulting.com

On 8/22/2011 3:51 PM, Mark Simms wrote:
>> Lately, my 'salesman' has been taking my time/money quotes, and not 
>> adjusting them properly.  When I say 2 weeks, he should be telling 
>> his customer 4 weeks, instead, he tells them 1 week, and hounds me.
>
> Sorry, I've got to "top" that one.
> A couple of years ago I was hired to enhance a system that basically 
> was a custom-made CRM for a very specialized business.
> There were no off-the-shelf packages, so their in-house developer 
> wrote it over a period of 3 years.
> It was built using VB6, Access 97, and a bunch of 3rd party controls.
> They lost the licenses and the developer, so I gave them the option of 
> building out additional functionality via Access 97.
> It was to provide a new source of revenue for them. 6-8 weeks later it 
> was done.
>
> Management then decided they wanted to rewrite the whole system....I 
> gave them a proposal in Access 2007 for $80,000 and 8 months time 
> which they rejected. Instead, they signed a development company to do 
> it in
dot-net/SQL
> Server. I was disappointed, I thought I had given them a "bargain". 
> Their volume did not dictate a need for a heavy-duty database.
>
> Two years and $250,000 later, the dot-net system is still nowhere near 
> completed.
>
> Lesson: in IT freelancing, it's so easy to get burned.
>
>
>
>
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