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.
Don't give advice
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I just read an excellent article about consulting by Tom Critchlow, an indy consultant who has good insight into the world of consulting: Don't Give Advice, Be Useful This all builds up to my personal consulting mantra: always work on the next most useful thing
This mantra helps remind me that consulting isn’t about being right, it’s about being useful.
As a consultant - it’s crucial that you’re generating momentum, that clients can feel a sense of progress in your work. A consultant is typically an expensive investment and without a sense of progress or momentum your engagement will stall out.
Importantly however, a sense of progress and momentum doesn’t have to come from the official SOW or project plan. Actual progress is one thing - but a sense of progress is just that - it’s about your client feeling like things are moving forward.
When I joined a consulting company, I thought giving advice and solving problems was what consultants do. However, every time I gave advice, no one took it seriously, and for good reason! I haven't proven my credibility. I hadn't demonstrated value. The way to demonstrate value? Be useful. Get something done that the client appreciates. Then they'll look to you for advice as time goes on. So a little piece of advice for you from me (I can't resist): be useful first, then give advice. 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.
When a prime calls and asks for your helpSource I switched projects over a year ago, and the prime hired someone for my position. The prime PM called me recently and mentioned that their employee wasn't performing well on a project that I had worked on and asked if I would be interested in coming back. Now, I had already worked on this project as a sub/1099 so I don't have to negotiate that part. However, they only have four months left on the contract and need to make their client happy, so...
The prime PM when I pitch $1,000/hourSource It's normal to worry about coming in too high in a billable rate negotiation. There is some risk that you'll throw out a number that is too far away from a realistic number for the prime. But, if you take some precautions this risk is low. Here is what you can do to avoid that situation: Let the prime offer the first number. They will probably be on the low end but at least you'll know whether you're $10/hour apart or $60/hour Do your research. You...
Don't let this happen to you!Source One of the concerns I had when going 1099 was managing my security clearance. Specifically, I was worried it would expire and without a company to "hold" it, I wouldn't be able to get it back. This is a legitimate concern, so you should be particularly diligent about it. A few points on this: Make sure the prime (or at least one prime) "owns" your clearance profile in DISS Build a good relationship with the FSO Keep tabs on when you need to submit for a...