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.
Demonstrate credibility with a portfolio
Client referrals are the best way to "prove" your worth. If a client refers you to a prime PM, that will generally be enough to show you have credibility to do the job. If you don't have a client referral, that's okay, but you have to be prove your credibility in other ways. If you have a job that involves creating things (software, dashboards, comms products, etc.), you can create a portfolio of work. This is common with web developers or designers. They will often have a public website showcasing apps or websites they have designed. If you can find a way to show off an actual work product you created, that goes a long way to establishing credibility with the prime. I did this with a dashboard I created. A prime wanted to see an example of a dashboard I made, and fortunately, they were able to access the classified networks and check out the dashboard themselves. This was enough to prove that I could do the job. I wouldn't go out of my way to create a portfolio, but if you're struggling to prove your worth, particularly if you are more junior, I'd invest in creating one. If you're interested in learning how to get your first solo 1099 federal sub-contract, check out my book: |
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.
Grandpa Simpson commands SME level ratesSource Here's a rough bill rate estimate based on your experience level. Obviously, depending on what you do and the particulars of your contract, this could change dramatically, but I just want to give you sense of what I've seen. Junior (0-4 years experience): $75 - $100/hour Experienced (4-8 years experience) : $100 - $140/hour Very Experienced/Expert (8-15 years experience): $140 - $180 / hour Subject Matter Expert (15+ years of specialized...
Business development excitementSource I spoke with employee 1 of a 200 person government contracting company, and he described some interesting stages in a company: 0 employees - Use your network to get your first sub-contract 1 - 20 employees - Do good work, figure out some basic admin (finance/HR), get on GSA MAS or equivalent contract vehicles, leverage contacts to win small prime bids and continue to grow sub-contracts 20 - 50 employees - Hire some support staff (finance, proposal...
GSA rep responding to my proposalSource This past summer I submitted a proposal to GSA to get on their Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) which allows government agencies to buy your services at pre-negotiated prices. We submitted proposed bill rates for different LCATS and the GSA rep has responded, proposing some counter prices and a lower annual escalation rate. What's interesting is that even though we are negotiating, the whole thing is very routine. She asked that we just respond to her...