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.
Work at a natural pace
As Americans, we love to be in a rush. We love the idea of getting ahead, and we want to get ahead fast! But there is a natural pacing to any activity. Pacing is determined by two factors:
Personal If you're young and and have minimal obligations, you can move fast. You'll have lots of energy, and lots of time to get things done. You can improve your skills, take networking meetings five days per week, and still have time to relax on the weekends. If you're in your mid-30s to 50s, you have less time and energy. You move slower. You spend more time with your family. Weekends are filled with personal obligations. There is a personal limit to how much you can actually get done in a given day, week, or month. Don't lie to yourself about what you can realistically accomplish. External In addition to your personal limitations, there are external constraints. Program managers become unresponsive, a key government admin person goes on vacation, some paperwork get screwed up, networking contacts reschedule your happy hours, etc. In the 1099 game, there are many factors outside of your control. If you keep trying to force things to happen against their natural timeline, you're going to burn out. So keep that in mind if you feel either overwhelmed or frustrated by the lack of progress. It's more important to be consistent than fast. --- Read the section in Slow Productivity by Cal Newport on "Work at a Natural Pace" for good advice on this topic. "Don’t rush your most important work. Allow it instead to unfold along a sustainable timeline, with variations in intensity, in settings conducive to brilliance." Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport --- 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, 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...
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...