Be slightly aggressive


If you're a decently skilled employee in the government contracting world, there is no reason you shouldn't be able to go 1099.

The main differentiator I've seen between people who claim they want to go 1099 and the people that actually do it, are that the people who pull it off are just a little more aggressive (assuming they are equally skilled, in desirable fields, etc.).

The successful ones "pester" their network a bit more, negotiate a bit harder, and push to go 1099 for longer.

Being a little more aggressive doesn't come naturally to most people. That's okay. What matters is that you do it, now how you feel about it. It will become more natural over time.

I'm not trying to push some motivational nonsense about forcing yourself to work harder. It's just a reality that the longer and more forceful you try to make something happen, the more likely it will happen.

You won't be able to do it if you don't truly want it. But if you do want it, you might think you're doing something wrong when it doesn't happen immediately and then give up.

That's not the case. It just takes more time and effort and something will give.

So if you want to go 1099, give it a little more oomph and a little more time.

If you do, the odds of you getting your first 1099 gig go way up.


If you're interested in learning how to get your first solo 1099 federal sub-contract, check out my book:

Going 1099: How to become a solo federal sub-contractor and gain control of your working life, earn more money and unlock more free time

I'm Dale, the author of Going 1099

Going 1099 is a book that teaches you how to become a solo federal sub-contractor and gain control of your working life, earn more money and unlock more free time. I wrote it because quite a few people have asked me how they can become a 1099. I figured it was best to write a single book that I can send them and that I can share with others who are interested. This newsletter goes out Monday - Friday and covers topics that will help you succeed in starting and maintaining successful 1099 career.

Read more from I'm Dale, the author of Going 1099

One of the reasons a company would bring on a 1099 or a sub-contractor is because bringing on a full time W2 employee would be too risky. If a contract has a limited amount of time left on it and there is a vacancy, companies may not want to hire someone because they're not sure if they'll have billable work for the employee after the contract ends. This is when hiring a 1099 would make sense, even if it reduces their margin. They're trading margin in exchange for a lower risky profile. In...

Hi all, Not returning to the newsletter just yet but thought I'd send out a link to an interview I did with Jonathan Stark on his podcast, Ditching Hourly. https://podcast.ditchinghourly.com/people/dale-davidson Jonathan advocates for getting away from hourly billing in your independent consulting practice. I agree, but I discuss why that's difficult in government contracting but why it might be okay anyway, particularly if you're jus getting started. He's a great follow for those of you who...

Hi all, I've enjoyed writing this newsletter for over a year now, but I've decided to take a hiatus for the time being. There is an extensive archive if you'd like to go back and read the previous ones. As always, if you have 1099 questions, feel free to ping me via e-mail at dale@1099fedhub.com. Good luck to you all! -Dale If you're interested in learning how to get your first solo 1099 federal sub-contract, check out my book: Going 1099: How to become a solo federal sub-contractor and gain...