Mark A Matte
markamatte at hotmail.com
Thu Dec 7 10:35:34 CST 2006
Dan, Great insight. I'm no longer an Independent, but one comment especially caught my attention. >9) At first, your ability to sell and market yourself is what makes you or >breaks you. If you can find a mentor to help you with this, pay them! I >was introduced to a person who is a software salesperson, and his help has >been invaluable. My mentor is also a software salesperson. I wonder if this is coincidence or a logical pairing of occupations. Just a thought, Mark A. Matte >From: "Dan Waters" <dwaters at usinternet.com> >Reply-To: Access Developers discussion and problem >solving<accessd at databaseadvisors.com> >To: "'Access Developers discussion and problem >solving'"<accessd at databaseadvisors.com> >Subject: Re: [AccessD] Independent Consulting >Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2006 18:38:22 -0600 > >Hi Barb, > >Having done this 4 years ago, these are my thoughts: > >1) Charge a respectable rate. I started out charging $50/hr, only to find >out that potential customers would see that as me not knowing what I'm >doing. Next year I'm charging $120/hr without complaint. If a customer >can >easily see that they get more value than they paid you, they won't worry >about your rate. You might charge a fixed rate for certain projects - a >chance for more money. Another possibility, although a challenge to >implement, could be to charge an ongoing or one-time percent of the value >you have provided to them. > >2) Explicitly tell potential customers how they will gain more value than >you will charge. Go into some detail on this - they will then feel like >they are informed and be more comfortable with you. > >3) Go a little slow - get to know your primary contacts somewhat >personally. This goes a long way toward trust and being able to resolve >the >inevitable conflicts that arise, and they'll open up more to you. But, >remember that their primary loyalty will stay with their own company. > >4) Always be on your customers' side. Provide solutions and suggestions >they didn't think of. > >5) Don't start work until you've signed a contract. I got slightly burned >on this once. A good contract structure is to agree on how to work >together. Then you can write a new Statement of Work for each project >which >gets into deliverables, schedules, payments, and so forth. This reduces >the >trepidation associated with signing a contract. If you've got a good >history with a client, and YOU feel comfortable you can make verbal >agreements. Some people are quite uncomfortable with written agreements >(they may not say so) and may avoid you just to avoid the written >agreement. > > >6) Consider being a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC). This avoids the >difficulty of being a subchapter S corp, and gives you protection like a >corporation. Talk to attorney about this though. > >7) An Accountant? - I guess that depends on your billing rate! I don't >use >an accountant, but since I'm finally making some money this year, it hasn't >mattered till now. > >8) Set up a small web site. This gives you a presence that other people >can quickly find if you give them your business card. For your site, you >will drive people to it for more information - don't expect your web site >to >generate business for you. Be very clear and comprehensive on your site as >to what you do. Make it simple and easy to read - no flashy graphics - >it's >a business site. The purpose of your web site is to get people interested >enough to CALL you - not to sell you. Don't provide enough information >that >would allow people to cross you off their list. Your goal is to talk to >them person to person - you sell you - not your site! > >9) At first, your ability to sell and market yourself is what makes you or >breaks you. If you can find a mentor to help you with this, pay them! I >was introduced to a person who is a software salesperson, and his help has >been invaluable. > >10) I've come up against a situation where the IT folks in a customer's >site feel competitive with me. If this happens you can't stop it - it's >their emotions. Just be aware that can this occur. > >11) Emphasize the comprehensiveness of your experience. Managers like >people who can do a lot. > >12) Some customers may want you to take the lead on a project! Managers >also like people who can start the job and get it done so they can do other >things. If you are a good project manager then you are more valuable! >With >one customer, I update and provide a gannt chart weekly, and I gently bug >people to get things done. > >13) References give you credibility as an independent person! If you can, >find some small jobs, maybe for people you know, and get references that >way. It will help! > > >Best of Luck! > >Dan Waters > >-----Original Message----- >From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com >[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Barbara Ryan >Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2006 2:45 PM >To: Access List >Subject: [AccessD] Independent Consulting > >After 20 years of working as a computer programmer/analyst (the last 7 >years >working exclusively with Access and Excel), I have made the decision to >become an independent consultant. > >Any advice? Suggestions on nformational resources about consulting (books, >websites,etc.)? How to set a billing rate? Marketing ideas? Do I need a >lawyer AND an accountant? Any 'gotchas' that I should look out for? This >is pretty scary for me! > >Thanks, >Barb Ryan >-- >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 _________________________________________________________________ Get the latest Windows Live Messenger 8.1 Beta version. Join now. http://ideas.live.com