CHAPTER 1 WHAT IS CONTRACTING?

• What is a computer contractor?
• What kinds of work do computer contractors do?
• How much do computer contractors earn?
• Who hires contractors?
• How many computer contractors are there in the US?
• Are all computer contractors temps?
• What percentage of contractors work through consulting firms?
• What is the single most important thing to remember about contracting?

CHAPTER 2 CAN I BE A CONTRACTOR?

• What are the minimum qualifications you
• need to become a contractor?
• What do you mean by "in-demand technical skills?"
• What kinds of skills are most valuable?
• How important is it to have paid experience?
• How much total experience do most contractors have?
• How technically savvy are the recruiters who read my resume?
• How important is the amount of experience I have with a skill?
• How do I determine if there is a market for my specific technical skills?
• I see several ads in the local paper of fering contracts that call for an obscure database I know. Does this mean I can con tract with this specialty?
• I don't have "hot" skills but I do have a great deal of experience with the software development process. Is this worth any thing?
• Can I be a contractor if I am not a programmer but have other computer-related skills?
• Is it a good idea to begin contracting straight out of college?
• When is the best time to start contract ing?
• Do some types of personalities do better than others as contractors?
• Won't I learn more about the consulting business working as an employee of a successful consulting firm?
• My spouse isn't crazy about the idea of my giving up a steady job. Will they change their mind when the money starts rolling in?

CHAPTER 3 W-2, 1099, OR CORP?

• Do I have to establish my business in a particlar legal form?
• What is a W-2 Contractor?
• What are the advantages of working as an employee contractor?
• What are the disadvantages of working as an employee contractor?
• What formal steps are required to work as an employee contractor?
• Is a sole proprietor the same thing as an independent contractor?
• What is an 1099 Contractor?
• What are the benefits of being a 1099 in dependent contractor?
• What are the drawbacks of being a 1099 in dependent contractor?
• What legal steps do I have to take to be come a 1099 contractor?
• What is involved in incorporating?
• Isn't it true that Incorporation is a great way to avoid paying taxes?
• What is the difference between a C-corporation and an S-corporation?
• Can I start out as a C-corporation and then change to an S-corporation later?
• If I have to incorporate, should I use an online service that promises to incorporate me in my home state for $200?
• Is it a good idea to incorporate in an other state where incorporation is cheaper than my home state?
• What is a Limited Liability Company? Is it a better deal for me than incorporating?
• I am planning to work with several friends who are all contractors. Would it make sense for us to form a partnership?
• How do you decide which form of business to use?
• What other factors should you consider when choosing your status if you have a choice?
• Where do you find consulting firms that will work on a 1099 or corp-to-corp basis?
• Does my employment status make a difference in how much I earn?
• Should I hold out for independent status?
• Are there any situations in which it is critical that I maintain independent status?
• A consulting firm told me that I have to incorporate if I don't want to work as a W-2. Is this true?
• What happens if you violate the IRS guide lines and work with the wrong status?
• Have thousands of independent computer contractors been reclassified as employ ees, as an agency recruiter told me?
• What about the 1997 reclassification of Microsoft's contractors?
• Why won't the agency pay me until a week after the client pays them if I work as an independent contractor?
• Why did the consulting firm tell me I need to buy expensive business insurance before they'll let me work as an independent?
• I thought the whole idea of having a corporation was to protect me from liability claims?
• Even if the agency doesn't ask for it, shouldn't I have professional liability insurance?
• Does my homeowner's policy cover my computer equipment at home?
• What is disability insurance?
• Where can I buy the business insurance I need?
• Will I have problems getting health insurance if I'm working as a W-2 contractor?
• Is it easier to buy insurance if I am in corporated?
• What about continuing in my old employer's plan under COBRA?
• Can I get health insurance through a consulting firm if I am an hourly rate W-2 employee?
• Do I have to choose a business name to be a contractor?
• How can I ensure that my business name is unique?
• What business expenses can I treat as tax deductions as a W-2 contractor?
• What business expenses can I claim as tax deductions as an independent contractor?
• Can I deduct the cost of my health insurance?
• Can I deduct the expenses of maintaining a home office?
• Would I save money by leasing a car for my business and then deducting the expense on my taxes?
• Will I have credit problems if I become a contractor?
• Can I get the benefits of independence working as an employee of an umbrella company

CHAPTER 4 WHAT RATE?

• How do I set my rate?
• Can I believe what other people tell me about rates?
• Can I believe what consulting firm recruiters tell me about rates?
• How useful are surveys?
• What does your Real Rate Survey tell us about rates?
• Is there a simpler way to come up with a rate?
• What kind of income does a rate of $70 per hour translate into?
• What kind of cut does a consulting firm get when they place a contractor?
• What kinds of cuts are consulting firms actually taking?
• Where does the consulting firm's cut go?
• What percentage raise can I expect when I get a new contract?
• What kind of raise can I expect when I extend a contract?
• Are there ever situations where I'd earn more as an employee?
• Can I get a salaried job that pays what I'd make as an hourly rate contractor minus the cost of benefits?
• To earn a good income as an hourly rate contractor I must work nine months of the year. Wouldn't I have more job security as an employee?
• As an employee, won't I get paid for "bench time?"
• How does salaried work as a contractor differ from salaried work elsewhere?

CHAPTER 5 WHICH CONSULTING FIRM?

• What is a consulting firm?
• What is a broker?
• What is an agency?
• What is a Big Six Consulting Firm?
• What about the consulting firms I see in the magazines and online?
• What about the traditional temporary and employment agencies now placing technical contractors?
• What about smaller, local placement firms?
• What about small consulting firms that really do consulting?
• I see ads from what look like temporary agencies run by large companies. What are these?
• Do consulting firms earn obscene profits?
• How do consulting firms pay their recruiters?
• Are the most successful consulting firms those that best understand technology?
• Who keeps the consulting firm in business, the client or the contractor?
• What kinds of problems do contractors cause consulting firms?
• How do I find a good consulting firm?
• What about consulting firms that post jobs on Internet job boards?
• How do I find a good out-of-town consulting firm?
• Are there problems with responding to on line contract postings?
• Should I avoid the consulting companies that other contractors slam?
• What kinds of problems should I be looking out for?
• The reputable consulting firms in town won't interview me because I'm currently employed by a large local firm where they have placed contractors. What can I do?
• Some people tell me all consulting firms are rip-offs. How paranoid do I have to be?

CHAPTER 6 HOW DO I WORK WITH CONSULTING FIRMS?

• When should I contact consulting firms?
• How many consulting firms should I contact?
• Should I first contact firms whose employ ees have suggested I call them?
• Should I look for consulting firms that pay a sign-on bonus?
• What is the best way to approach a consulting firm?
• What should be my goal in the initial contact?
• How should I initiate the contact?
• What kinds of questions should I expect the recruiter to ask?
• Should I discuss rates during the initial contact?
• Should I tell them what rate I want?
• Should I ask about tax status at this point?
• What else should I look for?
• What should I do if the consulting firm wants a face-to-face interview?
• How should I dress for an interview?
• How do I handle the consulting firm interview?
• The consulting firm asked me to fill out an application that asks me to give contact information for my previous employers and clients. Are they just using me?
• Should I deal with a recruiter who is a technical idiot?
• The recruiter tried to talk me into working as a salaried employee rather than a contractor. Is this a bad sign?
• The recruiter gave me a contract to sign at the preliminary interview. Should I sign it?
• Can I ask to see their regular contract now?
• What kind of resume should I send a consulting firm?
• Any tips on sending out my resume?
• What comes after the first contact?
• The recruiter has an interview for me. What now?
• A recruiter called with a contract that doesn't interest me at all. They want to do the interview anyway. Should I do it?
• What happens at the client interview?
• Who will be interviewing me?
• Should I discuss rates at the client interview?
• Should I discuss the start date at the interview?
• How much can I find out about the contract at the interview?
• This is only a temporary position. So I don't need to give it the kind of thought I'd give a real job, right?
• If this is just a six week contract, why worry?
• The contract they've got for me is "temp-to-perm." What does that mean?
• How can I optimize my chances of getting the contract?
• What should I do if I can't find out much
• What if I only get to do a telephone interview with a remote client?
• I'd like to interview for more than one contract before I decide on one. Can I do this?
• What should I do when I get an offer?
• What should I do if the recruiter tries to lowball me?
• What if they demand that I work as a W-2?
• I can't make up my mind about this offer. How do I handle this?
• How can I improve my negotiation skills?
• I hate negotiating. Do I have to negotiate?
• Besides my rate and status, what else must I negotiate?
• How do I accept the offer?
• When should I give notice on my old job or contract?
• Should I start working for the client be fore I sign the contract?

CHAPTER 7 WHAT'S IN MY CONSULTING FIRM CONTRACT?

• Do all consulting firms use written contracts?
• Who supplies the contract?
• What parties are bound by this contract?
• Since I'm not contracting with the client, what contract binds them?
• What should I do if the consulting firm doesn't send a contract?
• How negotiable is the consulting firm contract?
• Do I have to accept everything in the contract to take the job?
• How do I negotiate a clause?
• How do I modify a contract clause?
• What clauses should I expect to find in a contract?
• How do W-2 contracts differ from 1099 and corp-to-corp contracts?
• How does a corporation's contract differ from that of a 1099 IC?
• Are computer consulting contracts covered by federal law?
• The consulting firm is located in a state other than the one I work in. What state's laws prevail?
• The consulting firm representative says that theirs is the standard NACCB contract and that they cannot change it. Is this true?
• What if I can't figure out what a clause means?
• Can you show me a sample of each clause I should expect to see?
• I've heard that overly broad clauses will get thrown out in court. Does this mean I can ignore the most abusive ones?
• How frequent are lawsuits by consulting firms against contractors?
• What happens to my contract if another firm buys the firm I sign with?

CHAPTER 8 HOW CAN I WORK DIRECT?

• Do I have to be an entrepreneur to find contracts without agencies?
• What is the easiest way to find direct clients?
• How can I get old employers to hire me?
• How can I work directly for clients I met through consulting firms?
• What kinds of companies will hire contractors directly?
• What is a preferred vendor? Can I become one?
• What kinds of firms don't use these preferred vendor lists?
• Why do clients hire from body shops when they can get better talent hiring direct?
• Why do so many companies prefer to hire from agencies and consulting firms, especially now, when they can find my resume on the Internet?
• How do I find out which companies in my area will hire direct?
• I've found a manager who is interested in hiring me for a direct contract. What now?
• What status should I work under?
• The client insists that I work through a "pass-through agency," what's that?
• How do I negotiate my rate?
• What should I watch out for when negotiat ing directly with managers?
• Who provides the contract when I work direct?
• What should my contract include?
• What do I do with the contract?
• Can I work without a formal signed contract?
• Do I need a contract when I know the managers I'm working for very well and trust them completely?
• What is an invoice?
• What should I do when I get paid?
• What should I do if I don't get my check?
• How do I terminate the contract?

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