#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
#21984
A collection of useful links, especially for science freelances.
Robinson, Richard. NASW (2004). Resources>Scientific Communication>Consulting
#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
#18906
Protect Yourself: Write a Contract
For independent consultants, contractors, and business owners, operating with contracts is paramount to your success. Contracts permit you to define the project, how it will be completed, and how you will be paid. They offer methods of restitution should things not proceed as planned or anticipated. Contracts also demonstrate how serious you are about yourself and your client, and make a profound statement about your professionalism. Contracts are not to be taken lightly. Never go it alone; always have a competent lawyer review and provide legal advice when writing a contract or before agreeing to any terms dictated by your client. This paper presents a number of terms and conditions for your consideration.
Maggiani, Rich. STC Proceedings (2002). Careers>Consulting>Legal
#10052
For consultants and independent technical communication contractors, keeping your eyes and ears open will go a long way toward keeping you busy.
#27577
Your requirements will assist you in delivering a software solution that meets your users' needs. You can find all sorts of templates and formal processes for requirements of various kinds, and while they are useful, the biggest problem I've found is that most people confuse defining the need with proposing a solution. As soon as a requirements document contains any part of 'how we're solving this', you've crossed the line into presupposing that you already know what the problem is and can stop listening.
Ferlazzo, Ellen Lawson. Sprezzatura Systems (2002). Careers>Consulting>Specifications
#23523
Resources for Starting a Business 
An outline of resources for starting a tech comm business in Wisconsin.
STC Four Lakes (2003). Resources>TC>Consulting>Wisconsin
#24917
Rules of the Game: Contract Consulting and Negotiating Skills
A panel of experts will discuss how negotiating with vendors, business partners, peers, or employees can turn differences to mutual gain. Whether the technical communicators finds professional fulfillment and financial success from permanent or contract employment, as an employee or as a manager, the panel will offer suggestions, rules of thumb, and examples of how to optimize success in the work environment. The perspectives offered will be from the viewpoints of the consultant, the contractor, and the organization. Two papers, “Successful Contract Consulting” and “Negotiating Rules for Technical Communicators” provide background for this panel.
Currie, Cynthia C., James T. Currie, Laurie Modrey, and Emily A. Sopensky. STC Proceedings (1995). Careers>Consulting>Collaboration
#20109
Rural Telecommuting: Making It Work for You
Employees and independent contractors working at home are freed from the need for proximity to their company by modern communications tools. The path is open to consider locating your home office away from urban areas. This workshop describes some of the many issues one person considered and faced while moving to a rural office-home three years ago. Find out what worked, what didn’t work, what the surprises were, and how to evaluate and plan for your move.
Johnson, Norton R. STC Proceedings (1996). Careers>Telecommuting>Consulting
#19585
Schmoozing for Profit: Choose Your Event Carefully, then Start Working the Room
Two short years after the fortunes of many high-tech companies have all but dried up, Peter Zvalo discusses how schmoozing can ease the challenge of marketing technical documentation services.
Zvalo, Peter. Writer's Block (2002). Careers>Consulting>Marketing
#13265
Before you get too deeply into establishing your firm, you will need to surround yourself with business professionals who have seen all this before. Putting time and research into the process of selecting these professionals can lead to trusting business relationships that will last for years. Web design firms can count on needing at least an accountant, an attorney and a bank. Corporations will also need a registered agent if they are incorporating outside the state where the business is conducted. Some portions are repeated between professionals since the processes of selecting them are similar.
Kramer, Scott. List Apart, A (2001). Careers>Consulting>Web Design
#13189
When you establish yourself as an independent contractor or consultant, you must choose the type of legal entity that your business will be. The decision to incorporate should not be made without first understanding the implications. In making this decision, some issues to consider are taxation, liability, control, and simplicity.
Flanders, Melanie G. STC Proceedings (2001). Careers>Consulting>Management
