4. Consulting Ideas

• RealRates - Consulting Page

  Janet Ruhl's book The Computer Consultant's Guide is apparently recommended.

• Independent Computer Consultants Association

• Send mail to <the.kochanskis@MCIONE.com> Mark Kochanski who is considering similar to what I am...

  I am looking into striking out on my own as a contract employee or consultant. My biggest questions are:

  1. Should I be a S Corporation or an LLC?

  2. Where can I learn more about what can be expensed or written off?

  3. Any good books?

  4. Any good web sites?

  I have been asking friends for leads for a lawyer and a CPA, but I need knowledge to talk with these folks too.

  I work for a Big 6 now, and am in SAP, so lining up work is not a problem. I just want to learn more about what I am about to get into before I jump in.

• Welcome To The Contract Employee's Handbook

  This uses sufficiently non-conformant HTML that it causes various web browsers to crash on me when I try to access information. Netscape and Mosaic both have severe problems when reading the info...

  I used Lynx to ferret out the subpages:

  • Overview

  • The System

  • Legal Issues

  • Benefits

  • True Stories

  • Eureka!

  • Resources

  • Agencies

• Software Consultants Forum

• HWG Contract FAQ

• Janet Ruhl's Computer Consultant's Resource Page

• The Software Contractors' Guild

• Working Solo Online

• The Alliance For Affordable Health Care

• .... sounds a bit more reasonable than the **** who told me that the client wanted a 'great, heads-down, run-with-the-ball coder who was a real Team Player...' the following interchange ensued:

  " Me: 'Hmmm... that is kind of like asking for someone with all the fierce, searing insight of the True Introvert... but he has to be good with people, too!'"

  " Him: 'Uhhhh, yeah... so, can you do it?'"

• GoingWare's Back of Programming Tricks , consisting of a very nice set of suggestions as to how to market yourself as a programmer/consultant.

• HotJobs Cover Letters