#14955
The Basics of the Entity Alphabet©
Has anyone told you something that sounded like 'I folded my S-Corp into a C-Corp, then transferred the shares to an LLC that was the GP of an LLP'? It used to be easy. You were either a corporation, partnership, or if only one owner, sole proprietorship. Nowadays, the proliferation of choice of entities for even small, single-owner businesses can be daunting. While it can all be very confusing, all of this alphabet jargon boils down to two basic issues: taxation and liability. In the old days, you could only have limited liability if you were taxed as a corporation and could only be taxed as a partnership if you had full liability. Now the two issues have been separated, giving modern business owners the full range of possibilities. Let's take a look at how these two issues have been dealt with and what concessions business owners have wrestled out of the IRS in the last 20 years with the introduction of the Limited Liability Company (LLC).
Jurney, Thomas F. STC Williamette Valley (2002). Careers>Management>Legal
#14953
Career Coach Offers Survival Skills for Challenging Times
Condon encourages people to search for networking opportunities. She suggests reading the technology section of The Oregonian on Mondays to find out about meetings of professional groups in addition to STC. She said she often attends events simply because the announced speaker sounds intriguing. She visits meetings of Rotary clubs, Lions, and environmental organizations. She finds out what groups her friends and neighbors belong to and asks if she can attend a meeting with them. When she goes, she doesn't attempt to meet everyone, she just tries to make two or three new contacts. She exchanges business cards, and then, the next day, she follows up with a handwritten note to one or two people saying what a pleasure it was to meet them.
Riley, Erin. STC Williamette Valley (2002). Careers>Advice
#14947
Career Workshop: Participation Is Inspiration
Like most technical communicators in the current economic climate, I've been considering where I've been and where I'm going. On Saturday, January 12, I had the golden opportunity to do some of that in the company of some 50 like-minded participants and a number of inspirational and practical speakers. Not incidentally, I was reminded what a tremendous reservoir of volunteer spirit the Willamette Valley Chapter of the STC holds.
Cass, Richard. STC Williamette Valley (2002). Careers>Advice
#14958
Contracting Experiences From Hell
So you've got a contract. The client seems reasonably well heeled and reliable (or you have an agency that can run interference for you). All you have to do is produce and collect, right? Not necessarily! As the following anecdotes show, having a good contract and having your professional ducks in a row are important at all stages of your client relationship.
Hilp, Robin. STC Williamette Valley (2002). Careers>Freelance>Contracts
#14957
In an economy that is constantly changing, many technical writers are (or have thought about being) contractors. Being your own boss certainly does have a certain cachet. But is it for you?
Turner, Gordon. STC Williamette Valley (2002). Careers>Freelance>Contracts
#14949
Do We Really Speak the Same Language?
At least England and America speak mostly the same language. What happens when we translate foreign languages and add what we think are correct nuances or words? Sometimes even the best intentions can go a bit stale, as witnessed by some of these translation guffaws that prove we're not alone in our confusion or mistakes. Even the big guns can misfire. I've inserted by own comments at the end of each item.
Gleason, Ruthmeri. STC Williamette Valley (2002). Articles>Language>TC
#22471
Information Architecture: Where Does It Fit?
It seemed five years ago that 'information architect' was becoming a popular, fancy name for tech writer. Have all of the information architects of the late '90s morphed into usability specialists with a special emphasis on the Web? Or have they gone back to being 'learning products engineers' and 'technical writers'?
Lizak, Samantha. STC Williamette Valley (2004). Careers>Information Design>Web Design
#14950
If you have all the work you can handle, your idea of networking might be showing up late to STC meetings, sitting in the back, and leaving before the speaker finishes talking. But, for the rest of us, networking requires a bigger investment of time and energy and a wider circle of contacts. As networking expert Kathy Condon points out, networking begins in our comfort zones-our neighborhoods, our offices, our STC groups. But to be effective, we have to search for other opportunities to meet people-groups and individuals beyond our usual contacts. Condon suggests attending meetings of professional and special interest organizations. Below, we've listed some groups to get you started. We include a Web address for each organization and a quote from their site.
Riley, Erin. STC Williamette Valley (2002). Careers>Collaboration>TC
#14952
The Portfolio as a Strategic Marketing Tool
The Contractor SIG's Annual Portfolio Review was held Tuesday, February 19 at the Northwest Neighborhood Cultural Center in Portland with the objective of providing a valuable opportunity to find out how to improve one's portfolio. The focus of the event was balanced not only by a review of winning portfolio characteristics, but also a look at techniques for using the portfolio as a sales tool. Attendees were given the opportunity to show and receive feedback on their own sets of samples.
Vellek, Rolf. STC Williamette Valley (2002). Careers>Portfolios
#14954
Practical Considerations When Starting Your Own Business
One of the least glamorous aspects of running your own business is accounting and taxes, but if you want to be successful it is an area of importance. Whether you want to start your own business or have been running one for years, here are practical tips to consider for the independent contractor. When you were an employee, someone else did the accounting for you (the W-2 you used to prepare your taxes) and may have provided some non-taxable benefits (retirement plan, health insurance, disability coverage, etc.) that you will now need to provide for yourself. When deciding to become an independent contractor, one of the first things to do is to go through a budgeting process to confirm going out on your own is a good idea.
Rowntree, Raymond A. STC Williamette Valley (2002). Careers>Management>TC
#14948
Show Me, Don't Tell Me: Writing Resumes that Work
As a hiring manager and instructor, I've seen many resumes and taught hundreds of students on how to write an impressive resume. What I find most remarkable about resumes is when they exhibit simplicity and clarity. In this article, I propose some basics for getting the attention of a hiring manager by showing how you can showcase your skills, experience and talents using simple resume basics.
Beaman, Rockie Lyons. STC Williamette Valley (2002). Careers>Resumes
#14945
Tools Training for the Technical Communicator
When we started our training room at Ace Communications, the goal was to offer hands-on training in the tools of the trade for technical communicators. Even though there is continuity in the core tools used in the profession, there is enough evolution in the design and application of these tools to warrant ongoing training, even for experienced users. The experience of running both a training business and a consulting/staffing business points out that the most successful technical communicators combine extremely strong inter-personal skills with ongoing tools training.
Ace, Mark. STC Williamette Valley (2002). Articles>Education>Technology>Software
#14959
The Willamette Galley e-zine contains chapter news, feature articles, and other items of interest.
#14956
Working Through Agencies: Independence or Indentured Servitude?
Many contractors get their starts through job shops or employment agencies. But are agencies on the path to independence or just trading one employer for another? Working through agencies has its pros and cons. Whether an agency contract or two might suit you and fit well with your business plans depends as much on your temperament and your expectations and goals as it does on the agencies you work through and the kinds of assignments you take on.
White, Tom. STC Williamette Valley (2002). Careers>Consulting
#22437
Do you ever find yourself causally picking up the phone to call your subject matter expert over in India? No, neither do I, and at least half my subject experts are in India. Another group is in Egypt, a few are in Russia, one is in Japan, and some are on the eastern U.S. seaboard. (And yes, there are a few in Oregon too?but I walk down the hall to ask them questions.) So how do you get information when your developers are many time zones away?
Lizak, Samantha. STC Williamette Valley (2004). Careers>Collaboration>Outsourcing>Offshoring
#14946
At some point in your career, you will find it necessary to do a speech or presentation. Sound scary? Something you're not sure you can do? Let's take a look at how to write a successful speech that will get the results you want.
Turner, Gordon. STC Williamette Valley (2002). Articles>Rhetoric>Presentations
