Reply to: Contacting Newbie

[Toasta]

When you hire a builder to do some work for you and he says it will take two days and that he'll start on Monday - if he then phones on Monday and says he can't do it this week because he as another job to do. What would you think?

This scenario is very likely when dealing with trades people in my experience, but yep ok, I get what your trying to say.

[Pondlife]

Yep I realise this, sorry maybe I could have worded it better.

I am required to deliver the solution on the agreed date regardless of any external factors, is this right?

When you hire a builder to do some work for you and he says it will take two days and that he'll start on Monday - if he then phones on Monday and says he can't do it this week because he as another job to do. What would you think?

[weemster]

Certain contracts will ask for liability insurance and some won't. In the circumstances you mentioned a company could sue your business but
only to the value your company was worth (Limited Co. = Limited Liability).

I have toyed with getting similiar insurance but in the end the procedures
of the company you contract for will minimise this sort of thing occurring. Everybody makes mistakes when writing software (if they write enough)
and if the quality is good enough everyone is happy. Obviously there are exceptions but I assume you aren't involved in missile or space mission guidance software

[Toasta]

Stop thinking like an employee! You don't get sick pay or holiday pay! The customer gives you a requirement and a deadline - you provide a solution and bill them for the time it takes to actually do it.

Yep I realise this, sorry maybe I could have worded it better.

I am required to deliver the solution on the agreed date regardless of any external factors, is this right?

[Pondlife]

Stop thinking like an employee! You don't get sick pay or holiday pay! The customer gives you a requirement and a deadline - you provide a solution and bill them for the time it takes to actually do it.

[Toasta]

The code is not likely to go into a production environment without testing and business sign off, is it? If you are coding for such a business then their processes must be appaling and it's probably the least of your worries.

If your really worried then get professional indemnity insurance. IMHO opinion the only way you could be liable is if you designed, coded, tested, signed off and implemented the code with no external validation because you didn't follow their procedures/processes.

HTH

Thanks for the clarification. Put that way, your right, it doesnt make alot of sense that I would be liable.

How is taking days off viewed in the contract world, and how does it effect the duration of the contract? If i'm say sick for 3 days, I obviously can't bill them for those days, but will I be expected to tack those days on at the end of the contract? And how likely is it that contracts finish up on the exact day that was planned initially?

[Pondlife]

Cheers weemster.

One thing I have been wondering is what the level of liability a contractor has to his work. ie. as an extreme example a mis-calculation was made somewhere in code and as a result cost the client money, am I as a contractor liable for this. Will I need my own insurance either under an umbrella and as a ltd co.

The code is not likely to go into a production environment without testing and business sign off, is it? If you are coding for such a business then their processes must be appaling and it's probably the least of your worries.

If your really worried then get professional indemnity insurance. IMHO opinion the only way you could be liable is if you designed, coded, tested, signed off and implemented the code with no external validation because you didn't follow their procedures/processes.

HTH

[Toasta]

What do mean by the nuts and bolts - I will try and help.

Cheers weemster.

One thing I have been wondering is what the level of liability a contractor has to his work. ie. as an extreme example a mis-calculation was made somewhere in code and as a result cost the client money, am I as a contractor liable for this. Will I need my own insurance either under an umbrella and as a ltd co.

[weemster]

What do mean by the nuts and bolts - I will try and help.

[Toasta]

Proof of delivery as a contractor - otherwise you're at the end of the line, no matter how good your technical skills.

Anyway, that's not really the problem. The exam question is "How much do you know about contracting in the 21st century under this government?"....My guess is "Sod all", but I'm happy to be proved wrong

Yeah not alot, hence the reason for posting a thread on a forum seeking some guidance. If you don't wish to give me any then i'd appreciate you keeping your trap shut.

I am confident I can do contracting work well, its the nuts and bolts behind it I need to work out. And this is what i am seeking to do.

[weemster]

Confidence is the key

Its not so much how much experience is needed but are you confident you can do the job. Confidence takes different people different lengths of time to acquire and I am not justing talking technical confidence but the whole 'kwon'.

[malvolio]

What?

I never held myself up as an expert, 80% of the jobs i've been looking at on JobServe have asked for 3.5 years experience. Check. And I would say I have a pretty good handle on the trade, I've led projects, managed people under me and worked in my trade in three different countries.

How much experience would you suggest I need before moving into contracting?

Proof of delivery as a contractor - otherwise you're at the end of the line, no matter how good your technical skills.

Anyway, that's not really the problem. The exam question is "How much do you know about contracting in the 21st century under this government?"....My guess is "Sod all", but I'm happy to be proved wrong

[Diestl]

Flipping heck does no one actually spend any time learning the trade and getting real experience nowadays before holding themselves up as experts.

Crap, I've seen folks with a few years experience wipe the floor with guys with 15 years, depends on how good they are.

[Toasta]

When I made the move from permie to contractor this year, a friend of mine advised to work for a year or so to build up cash in the business, and then after that take time off. His main advice was to make the holiday / break plans and then stick to it - if the market is bouyant then it's difficult to turn down work when agents keep ringing you...

His other advice was not to think about non-work things in terms of a billable day - if you think "this holiday is costing me £4000 in missed work" or "I can buy that Plasma screen TV, it's only three days work" then you're going to have problems!

HTH,

Matt

Good advice, cheers.

[Toasta]

Flipping heck does no one actually spend any time learning the trade and getting real experience nowadays before holding themselves up as experts.

What?

I never held myself up as an expert, 80% of the jobs i've been looking at on JobServe have asked for 3.5 years experience. Check. And I would say I have a pretty good handle on the trade, I've led projects, managed people under me and worked in my trade in three different countries.

How much experience would you suggest I need before moving into contracting?