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.
You’ll never eliminate risk
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I write a lot about risk mitigation in my book. It’s easy to romanticize the epic quit stories of now-successful entrepreneurs. But for most people, just quitting your job before you have something lined up will only really feel good in the moment. So I advise that anyone considering going 1099 make sure to have savings, validate their value in the job market, cultivate a good relationship with their current client and professional network, and then make a concrete plan to find their first 1099 gig. But, even if you follow all that advice, you’ll never reduce the risk or uncertainty to zero. For example, when I went 1099, I knew my gig would get three more months of funding, and was pretty confident it would get extended further, but didn’t know for sure. I did it anyway. However, there ended up being a gap in funding of about 4-6 weeks where I wasn’t working. It wasn’t the worst situation ever. I hung out by the pool for a month. But losing a month of income didn’t feel good. I won’t even go into the time I spent over a year without billable work due to dumb security clearance issues + COVID. That felt horrible and hit the wallet hard. But I don’t regret going 1099. If you’re looking to get your risk and uncertainty level down to zero before you make the leap, you’ll never do it. The key is to mitigate the risk to an acceptable level. You’ll still feel a little queasy in the stomach, but the more you learn to live with that feeling (conditional upon being a smart risk mitigator), the more likely you are to succeed. 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.
Rocky was a 1099 If you're a decently skilled employee in the government contracting world, there is no reason you shouldn't be able to go 1099. The main differentiator I've seen between people who claim they want to go 1099 and the people that actually do it, are that the people who pull it off are just a little more aggressive (assuming they are equally skilled, in desirable fields, etc.). The successful ones "pester" their network a bit more, negotiate a bit harder, and push to go 1099 for...
Offering half a muffin can often be helpfulvia X When you're trying to go 1099, you're largely focused on what you want. Imagining getting what you want is highly energizing and motivating, so it's easy to focus our energies there. But it's important to focus on what you can do to help others. For example, when you network with people, see if there are ways you can assist them. Maybe they have a friend looking for a job in your field, and you can meet them for coffee and make an introduction...
Treat Yo Self ... to non-billable funvia Reddit One of the fun parts about going 1099 is find opportunities to increase your billable rate. My own billable rate progress sent from something like $85 -> $100 -> $110 -> $115 -> $160 ->$180 per hour over an eight year period. Those early rate increases made a big differences. Actually all of them made a big financial difference. But the thrill of bumping up your rate wears off quickly, and then you're left with figuring out how to make your work...