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.
My podcast appearance with Jonathan Stark + my DOGE strategy
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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 want to work for yourself as an independent/solo consultant/business types. --- I also wanted to discuss my approach to DOGE and all the government budget drama. My work has not been impacted for now. My contracts are funded and I have to work onsite in a SCIF anyway so the end of remote work doesn't impact me. But if it does eventually come for me, that's okay. I'm actually considering leaving government contracting, or at least, personally doing billable work, anyway. Being onsite in a SCIF all day, even if it's well paid and afford more autonomy than being a W2 employee, is not the vision of life I have for myself I'm not exactly sure what comes next, and I suspect quite a few government employees and contractors will be in the same spot in not too long. But I do have faith that there is a benefit in being disrupted and having your life as you know it crash down around you. It's not pain free. But the disruption can point you in a direction that is more aligned with who you are and the life you were meant to live. I've gone through several cycles of 1099 gigs/extended time off and each time I come back, my tolerance for government contracting work goes down. That's a clear signal I need to do something else. [Perhaps I should spend time fixing my own typos.] I'm going to go into a "wait and see mode" and not try to force anything. I don't know if it will work out or work out in the way I expect it too, but that's my strategy for now. In the meantime, if there is anything I can help you with, don't hesitate to reach out. 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.
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, 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...
Your client when you tell them no "That won't work" is the worst thing you can say to the client when they suggest an approach or solution to something. No one likes being told no, especially clients, and especially by their contractors. Instead of saying "that won't work," you should 1) Acknowledge their approach as one way to do that, 2) Suggest two or three alternate approaches along with your reasoning, and 3) Recommend one of them and say why This feels less "hostile" and gives the...