[Discuss] how to contract correctly?

[markw at mohawksoft.com (markw at mohawksoft.com)]

> Good morning most awesome BLUers.  Question for you contractors.  How do
> you bill your clients?
>
> About a month ago I resigned from my job, paid my bills a few months in
> advance, and have decided I want to and be an independent contractor.  I
> have never done anything like this before.  So far I have been very
> fortunate in picking up more business than I can handle just by talking
> with people and using craigslist.  I've been charging by the hour though
> I notice clients seem to prefer charging by the project or milestone.
> What's the best way to go about billing folks?  Increments of a certain
> dollar amount?  How do you do it?
>
> A second concern is if my luck does not continue and I have to go
> several months without any clients.  How do you stay busy?  Do you
> partner with other contractors and share when you have to much work?

Get a federal employment ID and open a bank account. Something like EC
Enterprises. You'll need it. A lot of companies don't like to pay SSNs.

Second, get a contract written that the entity to which you provide
services must sign. Make sure it states something to the effect that
although you provide professional services and take reasonable efforts to
avoid copyright and/or patent infringement, there is no way you can be
100% certain that you have not inadvertently violated patents or infringed
on copyright and that you can not be held liable.

If you don't, you can get screwed pretty easily.

Third, no contract is "just a standard contract" all contracts are written
from a one sided perspective: screw you and protect them. Getting a
contract is a negotiation and you can and should cross out clauses in the
contract that you believe are unfair or unreasonable. Make sure it does
not give them rights they sign away on the second step.

You need to protect yourself. Walk away from business if you can't
negotiate a reasonable situation. It only takes one nightmare customer
ruin a good year or two of your life.



>
> Thanks,
>
> --
> Eric Chadbourne
>
>
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