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.
Parenting your clients
I'm reading a parenting book by the popular Dr. Becky called "Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want." The core idea is that there are no bad kids, and that trying to manage kids' behavior without addressing the reason why they're behaving in a certain way leads to all sorts of problems. In the book, she emphasizes that it is critical to validate your child's feelings and be in it with them without judgement. "One thing we know about feelings is that they are only scary if we are alone with them. If someone says to us, “Hey! You’re feeling [sad/scared/angry/left out]. That’s okay. I’m here. Tell me more,” the feelings immediately start to subside. We no longer feel so overwhelmed. We feel safer. When kids are upset, it’s as if they are plopped down on the bench of that feeling. It may be an Angry Bench or Disappointed Bench or even a Nobody-Likes-Me Bench. And what kids (and also adults) want when they’re on a bench, especially the dark uncomfortable ones, is someone to sit with them. Once someone sits with us, the bench doesn’t feel so dark and cold. Now we have a 'bench warmer.'" Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want Now, your government clients aren't children, but sure enough, they have feelings too (though I've seen a few that maybe don't...). As a consultant, you may tempted to solve their problems because on the surface, that's what you're hired to do. But, to build a relationship, you should try to understand how your client's problems affect them. On a few of my projects, I would let the client vent about unreasonable turnaround times for analytic requests by higher ups and then empathize. "Yea that sucks. The boss really doesn't understand how much effort it takes to analyze the data but you get blamed for it anyway. You're in a tough spot." Then, I'd help deliver the thing. It's a winning combo. You build the relationship and then also help solve pain points. So take a page out of Dr. Becky's book and emotionally validate your client. Your 1099 career will thank you. 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...