#30253
How to Write Your Own Contract 
This workshop is designed to help independent contractors write their own contracts.
Costanzo, Louis C., Terry S. Dick and Richard H. Weiss. STC Proceedings (1995). Careers>Consulting>Contracts
#10536
Human Factors: Consultant Search
HFES is pleased to provide this searchable directory of human factors/ergonomics (HF/E) consultants and expert witnesses as a free service to potential clients.
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. Careers>Human Computer Interaction>Consulting
#22438
Independent Consulting in Technical Communication
The number of technical communicators working as independent consultants has increased remarkably over the past decade - may you call this a trend?
TC-FORUM (1998). Careers>Consulting>TC
#21671
Independent Contracting Opportunities and Issues in Asia/Pacific
As a U.S.-trained writer based in Singapore in recent years, my experiences and observations revealed significant opportunities that technical communicators working in the Asia/Pacific region can take advantage of as well as issues they are likely to need to come to grips with. My emphasis will be on Southeast Asia.
Kurtz, Jerry. STC Proceedings (1996). Careers>Consulting>Regional>Asia
#21187
Independents' Success Depends on Business Skills
I went independent in 1990 as a technical writer/instructional designer, and I now teach technical writing in corporations. My business has grown steadily, albeit slowly, in these thirteen years. I learned quickly that independents are businesses first and technical communicators second. Our work may feed our souls and pay the bills today, but if we ignore business matters, our practices will ultimately fail. It is not enough to be 'technically' smart— independents must be savvy in business to succeed in any economy.
Frick, Elizabeth G. 'Bette'. Intercom (2003). Careers>Consulting>TC
#30757
Offers comprehensive advice to information professionals considering taking up self-employed freelance information consultancy. Draws attention to the risks associated with leaving the protection offered by corporate employment, alongside the benefits of empowerment through being self-employed. Emphasizes the need for prior business planning and offers advice on business name, web presence, logos, business cards, professional subscriptions, the need to have an accountant and register for value added tax, and dealings with banks and with the local Business Link. Advises against acquiring company status, joining trade groups, untargeted advertising, brochures and mailshots, and professional indemnity cover. Suggests ways of seeking work through networking with contacts, advises on the risks associated with imprecise agreements with clients, and emphasizes that the most important aspect of successful self-employment is self promotion.
Newgass, Oriole. Business Information Review (2007). Careers>Consulting>Freelance
#13564
I recently encountered a young web entrepreneur who understands that in business, 'no' doesn't necessarily mean 'never,' and that a last ditch sales pitch can pay off - maybe not today or tomorrow, but some day. It's a wise investment because one sales letter can be adapted and personalized for many different uses over time. And it can help you retrieve prospects you thought you had lost!
Reimer, Heather. Write Thinking (2002). Careers>Consulting>Marketing>Business Communication
#29371
Lessons Learned the Hard Way in an Architectural Document Disaster 
Delivering project reports in radically different formats gave the client a bad impression of this consulting firm. Here's how the staff remedied the situation and learned from their mistake.
Kalvar, Shannon T. TechRepublic (2003). Careers>Consulting>Project Management>Reports
#20093
When meeting someone for the first time, you get about 10 seconds to make a good impression; make it a good one!
Steele, Karen A. STC Proceedings (1997). Careers>Consulting>Communication
#13669
Managing the Client: A Fairy Tale
Remember that a successful project has a measurable and positive impact on the client's business objectives. Set a time period to measure the progress toward achieving those objectives, and plan to measure progress on a regular basis. If you find that there are adjustments that should be made, or additions that can improve the project's functionality, do them.
Cliver, Sara. Digital Web Magazine (2002). Careers>Consulting>Collaboration
#15164
Offers tips for independent contractors on staying efficient and productive.
Frick, Elizabeth A. 'Betsy'. Intercom (2000). Careers>Freelance>Consulting
#13575
A Marketing Checklist for Freelancers and Consultants
Marketing can be as simple as engaging in a one minute conversation with another person or as complex as a $3,000 direct mail advertising campaign. But marketing is more than selling a product or service or yourself -- basically, it's getting the person or prospect interested in what you're selling. And that's not so easy -- unless you know exactly how to do it.
#14738
Leonard-Wilkinson presents several ideas for marketing Web businesses to appropriate audiences.
Leonard-Wilkinson, Theresa A. Intercom (2002). Careers>Consulting>Web Design
#18847
The Meter is Running: Setting Consulting Rates for Independence
Setting your billing rate can be one of the most difficult and mysterious aspects of operating a consulting practice. There are nearly as many approaches as there are practitioners, with results that range from consultants who price themselves out of the market to those who fold because they simply cannot make enough money to survive. By employing a straightforward business model that includes estimates for expenses, labor and, yes, profit, independent consultants, both fledgling and established, can establish billing rates that are fair to consultant and client alike.
Juillet, Christopher. STC Proceedings (2002). Careers>Consulting>Pricing>Estimating
#27834
Moonlighting: A Guide for the Part-time Freelancer (How to Keep Your Head While Wearing Two Hats) 
Working as a part-time freelancer in addition to holding down a full-time job can certainly have its drawbacks: telling a friend you can't go to the movies with her this weekend because you have a deadline, or turning down a large job you would love to do because your schedule just won't allow it. But in today's financial climate, more and more of us are finding it a necessity, and we're learning how to work it into our lives. It can be a way to supplement income or, for some, a way to test the freelancing waters. Whatever your reasons, the overall message is to get out there and do it. You'll never know if you can until you try.
Penney, Beth. Editorial Freelancers Association (1997). Careers>Freelance>Consulting
#26210
My Time in Hell, or Why I Fired a Client
Some team members wanted the guide to be extremely prescriptive of format and content. Others insisted that it offer only minimal guidelines. A compromise was unacceptable to either side.
Hayhoe, George F. STC Orange County (1998). Careers>Consulting>Collaboration
#13572
Nice Work If You Can Get it -- Here's How
The secret to finding off-site work is to change the way you think about work. You must first and foremost be doing a type of writing that lends itself well to off-site work. It's easy to say that all writing can be done off-site. But you'd be wrong.
Knowles, Michael. Write Thinking (2002). Careers>Consulting
#26408
On occasion, (and only about 5% of the time) a client will not renew with us. They give us various reasons for this, the most common of which has something to do with 'not the results I was expecting.'
Wilkie, David. Search-This (2005). Careers>Consulting>Web Design
#27006
Open Sesame! Selling UX Services
For some UX professionals, selling consulting services is as difficult as opening a magic door without a secret password. There is no simple password that can magically open prospective customers' minds so they can see what you can do for them. However, there are a few strategies you can use when opening a dialogue with new customers that will lead to your sales success.
Schreier-Fleming, Maura and Janet M. Six. UXmatters (2006). Careers>Consulting>User Experience
#23032
New models of client-vendor relationships, competition, and cooperation are guiding corporate contracting strategies. Client companies seek service providers who can help them maintain agility, flexibility, and responsiveness in the face of constant change. Consequently, companies are “outsourcing’’ in-house functions to competent service providers. In addition, service providers themselves confront the same challenges of responding to change. They preforming “virtual corporations”, in which they pool skills and resources with complementary partners into made-for-the-task alliances to respond to business opportunities. Outsourcing and virtual corporations are related concepts that will shape the careers of many technical communicators.
Davis, E. Berry III and David M. Orchard. STC Proceedings (1996). Careers>Consulting>Outsourcing
#18771
Paper and Electronic Portfolios: Saleskits for Technical Communicators in the Twenty-First Century
In the twenty-first century, technical communicators are discovering that portfolios (electronic and/or paper) are indispensable career tools. Portfolios have many uses because they contain a variety of documents that have been developed with the tools and skills claimed on the resume. In addition, portfolios can be instrumental in getting a promotion or winning a contract.
Smith, Herb J. STC Proceedings (2002). Careers>Portfolios>Consulting
#31346
A Passion for Excellence: Building a Consultancy Into a PR Empire
Molly Matthews started a consulting business in her basement 18 years ago after losing her job in a corporate restructuring at Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. Like many women, she looked up and saw a glass ceiling and figured she could certainly do as well on her own. In fact, she did a whole lot better.
Steigman, Daria. Communication World Bulletin (2006). Careers>Consulting>Public Relations>Case Studies
#26243
A Path to Success: Interview with Patrick Jordan
In addition to providing clients with top quality design work, it is also important to help them think strategically. It adds a great deal of value for your clients when you help them to understand more about their users and their markets and about what the implications of this are for their designs.
Lisney, Eleanor. uiGarden (2005). Careers>Consulting>Graphic Design
#13469
Positioning for the Future: From Technical Communicator to Information Consultant
In the spring of 1992, one of Digital Equipment Corporation’s largest technical documentation groups funded a training program that helped shift job roles from “technical writing” to “information consulting.” The primary goal of this effort was to provide training and resource materials to 60 documentation developers (and their managers) to enhance their skills as documentation consultants. The following paper highlights some of the learnings gained from the experience of training a corporate documentation group to perform as information consultants.
Murphy, Debra-Jo. STC Proceedings (1993). Careers>Consulting
#28403
Pricing and Selling Web Design Services
Price your services appropriately in line with your competitors. Never sell yourself short - always make sure your clients appreciate what they're buying.
Hunt, Ben. Web Design From Scratch (2006). Careers>Web Design>Consulting
