Which skills for the "£750 - 2,000 a day bracket"?

[anothercodemonkey]

Some skills are very niche and you can make a lot of money on them but it is always a double edged sword. The reason you can charge a lot is because there are not many people who know that skill. The employer may end up moving to a different technology just to be able to get staff who can work on it. I knew a guy who worked on some obscure appserver and he was on a very high rate (~1000/day) but the market for that skill set has disappeared now as no-one uses the technology as they can't get the staff.

The exception may be stuff that they have to use by law but they can always train people up.

I have met contractors who were very good at always hopping onto the latest technology (and highest rates) but they are a bit of dying breed now.

[oliverson]

The problem with this game (contracting) is that there's a ceiling to what you can earn.

Say you were on £ 2k a day and managed to be fully utilised for 48 weeks a year. That's £ 480k a year. Yep that's a might fine turnover for a contractor and yes please I'll have some but the reality is that a) you are very unlikely to be on £ 2k a day and b) even if you were you'd be unlikely to be fully utilised each and every day for your contracting career. Say you managed half that rate and were fully utilised. That's £ 240k a year. It's just not enough is it? There are plenty of small businesses around that dwarf that figure and the owners of those businesses employ staff so they can spend time doing what they want. I know a few of them. While I'm slogging away doing a job I've grown to hate, they're sat on their boats in the South of France. I'm aware there are many, many people who would kill to be earning the kind of money contractors do but we are still small fish in a big pond.

Moral of story? Get a real business off the ground.

[alreadypacked]

The problem with this game (contracting) is that there's a ceiling to what you can earn.

Say you were on £ 2k a day and managed to be fully utilised for 48 weeks a year. That's £ 480k a year. Yep that's a might fine turnover for a contractor and yes please I'll have some but the reality is that a) you are very unlikely to be on £ 2k a day and b) even if you were you'd be unlikely to be fully utilised each and every day for your contracting career. Say you managed half that rate and were fully utilised. That's £ 240k a year. It's just not enough is it? There are plenty of small businesses around that dwarf that figure and the owners of those businesses employ staff so they can spend time doing what they want. I know a few of them. While I'm slogging away doing a job I've grown to hate, they're sat on their boats in the South of France. I'm aware there are many, many people who would kill to be earning the kind of money contractors do but we are still small fish in a big pond.

Moral of story? Get a real business off the ground.

I would agree, but only if you are prepared to steal.

I got real business's off the ground a couple of times and like you I know other people in business. What I learnt is: if you run the business stright you will earn a good living. But if you want to be rich from your business you need to steal, either from your customers, the tax man, your employees, your suppliers or all.

"Behind every fortune is a crime", if you are not prepared to do the crime, contracting is a good way to earn a living.

[conned tractor]

The problem with this game (contracting) is that there's a ceiling to what you can earn.

Say you were on £ 2k a day and managed to be fully utilised for 48 weeks a year. That's £ 480k a year. Yep that's a might fine turnover for a contractor and yes please I'll have some but the reality is that a) you are very unlikely to be on £ 2k a day and b) even if you were you'd be unlikely to be fully utilised each and every day for your contracting career. Say you managed half that rate and were fully utilised. That's £ 240k a year. It's just not enough is it? There are plenty of small businesses around that dwarf that figure and the owners of those businesses employ staff so they can spend time doing what they want. I know a few of them. While I'm slogging away doing a job I've grown to hate, they're sat on their boats in the South of France. I'm aware there are many, many people who would kill to be earning the kind of money contractors do but we are still small fish in a big pond.

Moral of story? Get a real business off the ground.

Great post. I agree and it's fully what I intend to do.

I would agree, but only if you are prepared to steal.

I got real business's off the ground a couple of times and like you I know other people in business. What I learnt is: if you run the business stright you will earn a good living. But if you want to be rich from your business you need to steal, either from your customers, the tax man, your employees, your suppliers or all.

"Behind every fortune is a crime", if you are not prepared to do the crime, contracting is a good way to earn a living.

But I must admit that's an even better retort. Where's that crim with swag smiley?