How to get some business on the side

[DecentDBA]

I am currently working as a DBA contractor. It's an 8-5 mon-fri job. I want to start getting some additional business so that I am not 100% dependent on just one client. My problem is that I am expected to be on the site of my current gig during regular business hours which leaves me very little time inside regular business hours.

Since most projects expect that you at least spend the first couple of weeks on the site of the client. How do you other contractors do this? One of the contractors I work with regularly calls in sick so that he can go visit other clients but that's not really my style. I've offered to do weekend and after hours work for some of the projects that have come up but have been turned down.

[Robwg]

What - you aren't allowed to take days off on holiday?

[Bluebird]

If you have to phone in sick or take holidays - thats sounds like direction and control from an IR35 perspective.

I currently have 3 clients, one is a 9-5, the other two I juggle either evenings or weekends, when I do have to attend site I just tell Client No1 I'm not available that day - sorted.

[XLMonkey]

I just tell the principal client that I'm not going to be in for a couple of days, and ensure that there's cover/arrangements for being away. I go for the assumptive close - I just tell them and assume that its going to be alright. Since they're not paying, its really not their business if I do something else at the same time as their contract.

[Robwg]

Unfortuantely - you are suffering the price of doing support contracts - you just need to negotiate it. From the clients point of view - they can always go to another firm.

The other thing would be to employ another DBA of course and actually act like a proper firm rather than a jobbing temp.

[cykophysh39]

I've juggled two contracts at time before. One was a full time on site gig, and another was a telecommute gig. This involved alot of early mornings and late nights and lots weekend work. With a bit "Felxibility" at work for a few months. Spending the time travelling on the train to do work.

I don't recommend it,it's hard going and you will run yourself down, and social life goes out the window. You and your Laptop become the best of friends. The financial gain is not really that worth it. Even when you look at the Double Rate.

I had set myself a goal that year of getting out of debt and making myself cash positive, so a double gig was the only answer. It worked but I tell you it was a lot of stress and wasn't easy.