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Re: Newbie Contractor needs advice

Subject: Re: Newbie Contractor needs advice
From: "Scott, Deborah" <x0046202 -at- TI -dot- COM>
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 17:43:31 -0500

I never take hourly jobs. I always get an agreement for a fixed price. Of course, the hours I expect to work (along with a sense of how much this type of job usually costs) are used to derive the fixed price.  Then, in the contract, I lay out specifically what everyone is supposed to do, along with approximate due dates for the various steps of the project (including due dates on the client's (SME's) part).

I clearly state that the completion of the original project depends on the clients fulfilling their obligations on time. If the project gets extended (due to problems on the clients' end), I state whatever the consequences will be (such as a less-detailed manual, additional cost for extended time... etc.).

The clients are expecting to pay XX amount of dollars for the project and if my fixed price meets those requirements, they'll hire me. (The fact that I create a detailed project proposal makes me look like I'm as professional as a consulting company-- which would cost more-- and gives the clients a sense that I'm not going to rip them off or miss a deadline.) I started working as a Technical Writer for a consulting firm, and that's where I learned the pitfalls of not specifying things out and not making the client responsible (in writing) for their end. I've copied these things from the company I worked for-- and it has really saved me in several projects.

--Deborah Scott

-----Original Message-----
From: John Posada [mailto:jposada01 -at- YAHOO -dot- COM]
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 1999 4:00 PM
To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Subject: Re: Newbie Contractor needs advice

Since you are a new contractor, the only way to
protect yourself from this type of situation is to not
take an assignment with that many pitfalls until you
gain enough scars to know that you have a "toolbox"
full of unconventional solutions.

Do you remember the response I wrote that said that
there must have been a reason why they handed you that
deadline since nobody in their right mind plans for
it? Well, you found the reason.

> significant $ in the
> process. How do you, as contractors, protect
> yourself against this? Is
> it possible to require a client to agree to, say, a
> minimum of 40 hours
> a week for two weeks? How do you handle such
> situations?
>
> Thanks for your help.

===
John Posada, Merck Research Laboratories
Sr Technical Writer, WinHelp and html
(work) john_posada -at- merck -dot- com
(pers) jposada01 -at- yahoo -dot- com
732-594-0873
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