Moving from pure contracting to 'real' multiple client work

[marcosscriven]

I am just wondering if anyone here had experience moving from the comfortable world of having an assured daily rate with one client, to moving to your own offices and canvassing/bidding for jobs? I am at a stage in my life where I think I would enjoy the added responsbility/risk, but with the added reward.

I think initially I would like to do a few jobs on the side, working evenings or weekends, to test the water. Does that sound reasonable?

Any top tips for finding clients?

Marcos

[chicane]

I'm at the stage where I've got my daily contract rate, plus maybe an additional grand a month for evenings and weekends here and there. Thing is, I did things the opposite way around to most, starting off with small business direct clients and then moving to contracting when things became a bit slow.

As a contractor wishing to diversify into direct client work, the biggest obstacle in your way is the requirement (if you're like most contractors) to be on site from 9 to half 5 - the time when you should ideally be cold calling for sales, going to networking events etc. Bear in mind that you'll be moving into the same arena as established "real" companies with dedicated sales people.

You'll likely get into a similar situation as me without too much effort, but expanding things beyond that (ie becoming a "real" company with direct clients only) would probably require taking on the risk and making a proper full-time commitment to your plans.

[Red 7]

I'm at the stage where I've got my daily contract rate, plus maybe an additional grand a month for evenings and weekends here and there. Thing is, I did things the opposite way around to most, starting off with small business direct clients and then moving to contracting when things became a bit slow.

I came to contracting in exactly the same way and spend quite a few evenings and weekends working on projects which are outside of my full-time contract.

It can be a ball-ache coming home from a long day in the office knowing that I've got another 3-4 hours development to do for another client. But, greed wins out and the extra wedge is worth it. I'm beginning to see non-contract income as car money, holiday money, casino money, etc etc.

Mine's at about the same level as Chicane, usually between £800 - £1500 per month of non-contract income. Which mostly depends on how many hours I want to put in. I could work 24 hours a day but I would be rich and dead in a month

[Red 7]

Any top tips for finding clients?
Marcos

1. a little Networking (hate that term ).
2. a lot of recommendations from previous projects.

Do both of these and you'll probably never need to advertise, www or cold-call....

or maybe I'm just lucky