In my book, I argue that you don't need to be an expert in your field to become a 1099. I spend far more time emphasizing being "good enough" and instead, spending your time networking or building good client relationships. BUT, becoming an expert is also a viable path to going 1099, one that can often get you out of the federal space entirely if you wanted. For example, if you were an expert in AI right now, as in, PhD level, you could have your pick of jobs. Companies would come to you and say "hey we will pay you so much money if you come work for us and help us with our AI efforts." You could then counter with an offer to consult for them for a much higher fee for much less time. Now, the reason I don't spend much time on this in the book is because most people are not wired to become a top level expert in their field. It takes a lot of work and from what I could tell, a certain personality type that is able to focus on one thing for long periods of time. But if that sounds like you, you should do that. You can reduce your networking efforts and instead, just publicly display your work (e.g. a form of marketing). You'll do much better than just getting a 1099 version of a federal contracting job. If you're interested in learning how to get your first solo 1099 federal sub-contract, check out my book: |
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.
Halt and Catch Fire @HaltAMC The realization. #HaltAndCatchFire 1:0 PM • Oct 19, 2017 79 Retweets 360 Likes Read 17 replies When I first went 1099, I applied to grad school thinking I'd use the extra money I would save to fund my living expenses if I got in. Well, I never got into grad school, and then I ended up doing the 1099 thing for a long time. The thing is, my goal was to never become a 1099 for its own sake. It was to buy myself more time and resources to go to grad school and do what...
Most days for me My company was recently awarded a contract on the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS). Now, this doesn't mean I actually won any work. It just means that if the government wants to do business with me, they can use the MAS as the administrative vehicle. There are two ways I can get work now using MAS: I can bid on stuff on GSA eBUY, where government agencies put out RFPs specifically for GSA MAS contract holders I can persuade government agencies directly to do business with me...
At least this guy is honest!Source When you're a solo 1099, you don't have to do any recruiting. You just have to find projects for yourself. When you try to grow a government contracting business, you will have to recruit people. It's tough! It's particularly tough in the early stages. Here's why: You don't have recruiting processes in place. You are probably reliant on your personal network, which will run out eventually It takes a lot of time. Reading resumes, meeting people, interviewing...