http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Careers/Consulting/Freelance A listing of the most recently indexed works about Careers and Consulting and Freelance in the field of technical communication. en-us Copyright (c) 2005-08 by the EServer. All rights reserved. tclib-editorial@eserver.org (TC Library Editorial Board) webmaster@eserver.org (Geoffrey Sauer) http://tc.eserver.org/images/newlogo.gif http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Careers/Consulting/Freelance http://tc.eserver.org/35453.html http://tc.eserver.org/35453.html Drafting a contract that covers you, and doesn’t just enumerate information, is more than important: it is a must. Freelancers do not have the benefit of a legal department dedicated to protecting their interests with a watertight contract. Nevertheless, a freelancer’s contract must be comprehensive, concise and clear. It should outline the scope of the job, scheduling demands, the expectations of both parties and more. http://tc.eserver.org/31965.html http://tc.eserver.org/31965.html Most contractors can't afford the time or money to advertise. If they can, there probably aren't many places where an ad would reach potential clients anyway. By default, then, your reputation as a contractor rests on your behavior at each job. Leave a happy client behind at the end of each job, and you'll soon start a word-of-mouth campaign that will keep you employed the rest of your working life. http://tc.eserver.org/30757.html http://tc.eserver.org/30757.html 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. http://tc.eserver.org/30357.html http://tc.eserver.org/30357.html The freedom to be a consultant or independent contractor (C&IC), to work on your own, to work at home, to 'tele-commute' has become one of the principal aspects that entices otherwise happy, healthy, sane people to leave their jobs and hang out their shingles. But like nearly every other aspect of being independently employed, working out of the home presents advantages and disadvantages in such areas as lifestyle, professionalism, and tax considerations. http://tc.eserver.org/30312.html http://tc.eserver.org/30312.html The technical contracting industry provides a unique career opportunity for experienced professionals in most technical communications disciplines. It also provides a possible alternative to unemployment in view of the continuing 'down-sizing' and restructuring activity going on in today's marketplace. http://tc.eserver.org/28194.html http://tc.eserver.org/28194.html One of the biggest temptations as an independent is to watch the money roll in and just focus on the number in your bank account. If you are incorporated, then you know the importance of strict accounting; out of that number, you have to take into account corporate taxes as well as personal income tax. However, if you are a sole proprietor or undeclared, you only have to take into consideration personal tax withholdings and the other associated costs (insurance, retirement, etc.), right? Wrong. In both cases, it's important to set aside a portion of your earnings in a savings account for rainy days. http://tc.eserver.org/27834.html http://tc.eserver.org/27834.html 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. http://tc.eserver.org/26229.html http://tc.eserver.org/26229.html Should your blog have a business? Jim Coudal shares insights into the adventure of transitioning from client services to product creation. http://tc.eserver.org/24301.html http://tc.eserver.org/24301.html To succeed as an independent consultant, technical communicators must master basic business concepts. These include properly setting up the business, marketing, and understanding basic contracts. When setting up their business, independent consultants must consider the legal form of their business, required licensees, insurance, retirement plans, and industry going rates. Marketing methods are divided into passive and active techniques. Independent consultants must know how to market to two main channels: agencies and direct clients. http://tc.eserver.org/23663.html http://tc.eserver.org/23663.html Independent contractors and consultants know the value of working cooperatively with other professionals to complete complex projects. 'Other professionals' includes subcontractors, other independent contractors and consultants, and business partners. The formation of these kinds of strategic relationships can help meet the demands of today’s diverse markets and clients. This paper outlines some of the basic issues that surround business relationships, including planning (estimating and bidding), formalizing project-based contractual relationships, and exploring more permanent partnership arrangements. http://tc.eserver.org/22056.html http://tc.eserver.org/22056.html If getting into the technical writing business is a challenge, and it assuredly is, defining our employment status often poses a few questions too. Naturally, there’s the common full-time employee status we all know and understand fairly well, but when we find ourselves dealing with a technical services or technical consulting firm there can be some murky waters, and more than a few aberrations of the “traditional” understanding of the term. So, we need to define some “terms” of employment since the majority of technical writers will ultimately encounter variations. http://tc.eserver.org/19871.html http://tc.eserver.org/19871.html In the 90’s, contingency staffing (also called temporary staffing) has become a way of life for businesses that have had to streamline operations and reduce fixed costs in order to compete. Consequently, contract employment and independent contracting have become a way of life for many technical communicators who can’t — or prefer not to — find a full-time job. http://tc.eserver.org/19872.html http://tc.eserver.org/19872.html The presenters examine all aspects of contracting from the viewpoint of both the contractor and the employer/client. The focus will be on the contract itself which provides a clear starting point for maneuvering through the critical issues, including what constitutes a legal contract and topics a contract should cover. The ensuing discussion will cover the different ways that writers work and are paid, managing the inevitable changes to a project, and a closer look at the pros and cons of working on an hourly or term contract compared to fixed price contracts, or contracts with an upset limit. http://tc.eserver.org/19550.html http://tc.eserver.org/19550.html Writers today are being advised to stop thinking in terms of building a life-long career with one employer, and instead view themselves as a one-person corporation offering specialized services to whomever is willing to pay the highest price. http://tc.eserver.org/19556.html http://tc.eserver.org/19556.html How to tell your client the truth even when a project isn't working out as planned. http://tc.eserver.org/19527.html http://tc.eserver.org/19527.html 'I love everything about being self-employed--except for waiting to get paid! My paychecks never seem to arrive on time. Sometimes my clients forget to send my invoices to Accounts Payable or the invoices get misplaced; other times the process just bogs down and takes forever. Whatever the reason, I'm stuck waiting for checks that don't come.' This article addresses the question: How can I get my clients to pay on time? http://tc.eserver.org/15164.html http://tc.eserver.org/15164.html Offers tips for independent contractors on staying efficient and productive. http://tc.eserver.org/15217.html http://tc.eserver.org/15217.html Responding to articles from a previous issue of Intercom, Frick reacts to professional trends that affect her independent consulting business. http://tc.eserver.org/13184.html http://tc.eserver.org/13184.html The Consulting and Independent Contracting progression will focus on both beginning and advanced topics relating to independent work. Independent work requires attention to two main areas: maintaining professional standards and practices; and building a successful contracting or consulting business. As the role of contractors and consultants continues to evolve practitioners face issues articulated in the topics below. Individual topics addressed are: choosing between contracting and consulting, marketing a business, and addressing legal issues. For those already established we look at ways to expand the consultant’s personal resource network and issues of incorporation as a growth alternative.