Reply to: SQL Server DBA looking to start business

[milanbenes]

phil,

I'll think you'll fit in well here great wind up

Milan.

[wendigo100]

Thanks for the feedback people.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Cheers, Phil

(except my name isn't Phil. I feel really guilty about having to be anonomous on the internet. You might be my (soon to be ex) boss. Eeek)

OK I better make another confession - I'm not from Kent. I'm so bad aren't I.
But it is a fine county.

Clark? Is that you?

[KentPhilip]

well fair doos Phil,

you have an answer for all of the questions

best of luck

let us know how you get on

Milan.

Thanks for the feedback people.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Cheers, Phil

(except my name isn't Phil. I feel really guilty about having to be anonomous on the internet. You might be my (soon to be ex) boss. Eeek)

OK I better make another confession - I'm not from Kent. I'm so bad aren't I.
But it is a fine county.

[n5gooner]

good luck mate, you've got to start somewhere, it is similar to what I've done with my IT company, which my ex now runs, we built up slowly.....

[milanbenes]

well fair doos Phil,

you have an answer for all of the questions

best of luck

let us know how you get on

Milan.

[KentPhilip]

Q: Who is going to draw up your contracts?
A: I am initially. I'll probably buy a cheap one off the internet or use one I've had before. Once I get going, I'll get a lawyer to do one.
Q: What will you do about late payment, when your contractors are waiting for their pay?
A: Bank loan if necessary.
Q: What happens when a client says "We ain't paying"
A: Find out why first and correct the problem. These types of problems can be resolved by managing expectations correctly at the outset. But if all else fails, Sell the debt to a factoring company. Or small claims court.
Q: How do you get onto preferred client lists without a track record?
A:Not initially, but once they see that I provide good service they'll add me there.
Q: How do you put all the ISO bits and pieces into place?
A: Don't know. But for small contracts I woudn't have thought they'd be too interested in ISO etc.
Q: How do you separate blaggers from good contractors?
A: Ask them some SQL questions
Q: What happens when one of your contractors fecks up?
A: I'll be there to back them up initially. Also I'll get professional indemnity insurance in case they dig a really deep hole.
Q: What happens when one of your contractors disappears?
A: I'll step into his shoes.
Q: What happens when one of your contractors decides to go direct?
A: Good luck to them - that means the client must be good and growing. I'll be happy to supply them with all the additional staff they need.

Yes you may call me Phil. I've been called worse :-)

[wendigo100]

Good points. I am going to try starting small to avoid the big costs, and do most of the work myself initially.
I'll go door to door (literally! - it recommended it in an IT careers book I read) in a number of business parks and try to get talking to IT managers and directors there to try to get some work.

Well it it works I'll be a millionaire. Has to be worth a punt does it not? I do have some savings besides the £20K.
Thanks!

Well, good on you for taking a punt then. It takes a bit more than knocking on doors though:

Who is going to draw up your contracts?
What will you do about late payment, when your contractors are waiting for their pay?
What happens when a client says "We ain't paying"
How do you get onto preferred client lists without a track record?
How do you put all the ISO bits and pieces into place?
How do you separate blaggers from good contractors?
What happens when one of your contractors fecks up?
What happens when one of your contractors disappears?
What happens when one of your contractors decides to go direct?

Good luck anyway!

[milanbenes]

in that case Phil, can I call you Phil ?

if you have such little respect for the 20k why not just give it to a worthy cause and then go an get a contract off jobserve ?

Milan.

[KentPhilip]

Thirded,

it is easy to think that people like Logica and Accenture and recruitment agencies make winning business look easy.

It's easy for contractors especially to get confident and think they can build a consultancy, but finding business and winning business, keep business, setting up an office hiring consultants costs a huge amount of money and takes a huge amount of time, experience and effort and nothing is guaranteed, then there is keeping your team happy and motivated to work for you for a small enough amount that you can cover your investment, risks, costs and return a profit. Then there is the question of how late the customers pay you and keeping your cash flow.

And then at the end of that you might not be left with any more than a contractor !

My advice, the same as those above, is to become a contractor for a few years and see what you think. It may be that during a contract you have a good relationship with the customer and talk them into letting you supply them with people.

All the best,

Milan.

Good points. I am going to try starting small to avoid the big costs, and do most of the work myself initially.
I'll go door to door (literally! - it recommended it in an IT careers book I read) in a number of business parks and try to get talking to IT managers and directors there to try to get some work.

Well it it works I'll be a millionaire. Has to be worth a punt does it not? I do have some savings besides the £20K.
Thanks!

[milanbenes]

Thirded,

it is easy to think that people like Logica and Accenture and recruitment agencies make winning business look easy.

It's easy for contractors especially to get confident and think they can build a consultancy, but finding business and winning business, keep business, setting up an office hiring consultants costs a huge amount of money and takes a huge amount of time, experience and effort and nothing is guaranteed, then there is keeping your team happy and motivated to work for you for a small enough amount that you can cover your investment, risks, costs and return a profit. Then there is the question of how late the customers pay you and keeping your cash flow.

And then at the end of that you might not be left with any more than a contractor !

My advice, the same as those above, is to become a contractor for a few years and see what you think. It may be that during a contract you have a good relationship with the customer and talk them into letting you supply them with people.

All the best,

Milan.

[wendigo100]

I've got to agree with DaveB. I were you I'd first get some contracting experience (and money) under your belt.

A hundred people a day have the same idea - effectively setting up a new agency - and they all think they can do it better than the established guys.

The only successful agency start-ups I know of in recent years were by people already working in the resourcing business.

That's not to say there weren't any like you, but it's much harder and I don't know of any.

So, if you are still serious about starting your own resourcing company, get some work as an agent with an established agency and learn how that world works.

[DaveB]

Stick the 20k in the bank for emerganices. Update your CV. Hit the job boards and agencies and get some contracts under your belt. While your doing that you can build your contacts list and progress your plan whilst maintaining your income and minimising your risk.

[KentPhilip]

Moderators - do your work !


should this post be in the light relief / humour section ?


Milan.

That's what I love about contractors - never take anything seriously if it is possible not to.

But thanks for all advice from my post 18 months ago - I was feeling slightly sorry for myself (cue violin)
But I survived another 18 months didn't I?

So no direct experience then of going it alone?

[Troll]

I've accepted voluntary redundancy from my permie job, so now have around £20K to play with.

You now need to leverage that 20K
In your first post you alluded to being the oldest worker, and therefore most vulnerable because of your age, this is illegal

You should engage a barrister to pursue a constructive dismissal claim against your former employee - get the age profile of all those offered VR and compare against those not, and argue your claim.

It would help if you were also ethnic/female/pregnant

[bobhope]

Your first post was almost as funny as well

God you're older than me and more naive than David Cameron.

He's not a (spit) permie like you though is he :-)