Re: How Does one Start Contracting?

[Mary Choy <mchoy -at- SIRIUS -dot- COM>]

Gina,

Here's an old email of what I did to start contracting....

Cheers!
 /Mare

> > -----Original Message-----
> > From:       Mary Choy [SMTP:mchoy -at- sirius -dot- com]
> >
> > I just left a full-time tech writer job to go contract myself, just last
> > month.
> >
> > But I took 2 months to prepare, while working the full-time job, before
> > making the move:
> > - got a graphic designer friend to design me new biz card, got 500
printed
> > up, and started networking...
> > - joined this sig
> > - joined STC
> > - joined NWU
> > - have been participating actively in SFWOW and Writergrrls for over a
> > year now
> > - researched several health insurance options as an independent (went
with
> > kaiser at 107 per month)
> > - met twice at length with a tax accountant who specialized in
independent
> > contracts -- learned all about what i can deduct, self-employment tax,
> > 1099, > etc. etc.
> > - went to the bank and opened a separate checking account and credit
card
> > for my biz expenses
> > - fully equipped a home-office setup (desk, chair, huge monitor, laptop,
> > laser printer, 2nd phone line, ISP...)
> > - looking into setting up my portfolio online off a personal website
> > - am trying to learn more about rates through articles on cnet, zdnet,
nwu
> > site, stc site, friends... (without discussing it online, which is
illegal
> > because it is viewed as fixing prices or something like that....)
> > - landed and worked a freelance contract job at nite the last month that
i
> > was at the fulltime job, just to see if i really liked it or even had a
> > taste for it
> > - bought all the software i need
> > - enrolled in ZDU (ZD university online) to start taking more
programming
> > classes
> > - called all my former bosses to talk about whether I'd make a good
> > freelancer, in their opinion
> >
> > It's a big step and you have to be sure you are the type of person that
is
> > going to thrive and really enjoy it? I am, um :), scary organized and
> > hyper-anal; these traits lend themselves well to freelancing. I'm also
> > outgoing and friendly in person...
> >
> > Phew! ok, back to work :)
> >
> > seriously, that all said, I am very happy i made the move. My only
> > concerns
> > now are that i save enough money for retirement, (now that there is no
> > company doing 401k with me) and that when I decide to go house-hunting,
> > banks are going to laugh at me for trying to secure a loan, given that i
> > have no "steady" flow of cash...
> >
> > Cheers!
> >  /M.


 From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=