Been a big help to me too. I am just trying now how to work out how to get the most work from two clients. I have an offer in the post for ten days' work for a fairly high-profile client but also an overlapping offer for a month's work at a different client. Is there any way people have found to balance out overlapping projects, or is it just a case of try to fit them in consecutively? Or do I really need to get involved at the bid stage rather than getting agencies coming to me with the offers? I suppose if I quoted them based around a project delivery timescale rather than purely x days at x rate, I could maybe shoehorn conflicting jobs in.
Cheers, JR On 7 February 2012 20:08, ntsysadmin <ntsysad...@rccs.org> wrote: > I have to thank you guys for this thread. I’ve been doing consulting for > about 15 years, for some small businesses and a couple years of full time > work for one business in particular. I’ve recently stopped working full > time for my “big” client (skills were stagnating because of too many other > responsibilities there) and decided to grow my business. This thread has > given me some good ideas. I wish I could get back all of the referrals I > turned down over the years while working for that big client. Thanks!**** > > ** ** > > *From:* Michael B. Smith [mailto:mich...@smithcons.com] > *Sent:* Monday, February 06, 2012 11:01 PM > > *To:* NT System Admin Issues > *Subject:* RE: OT - ugh!**** > > ** ** > > I hate to sound corny or mystical, but I’ll write it anyway: if you > believe, the Universe will provide. You just have to be willing to open the > damn door when opportunity knocks.**** > > ** ** > > Regards,**** > > ** ** > > Michael B. Smith**** > > Consultant and Exchange MVP**** > > http://TheEssentialExchange.com**** > > ** ** > > *From:* David Lum [mailto:david....@nwea.org <david....@nwea.org>] > *Sent:* Monday, February 06, 2012 10:45 PM > > *To:* NT System Admin Issues > *Subject:* RE: OT - ugh!**** > > ** ** > > Yeah I already figured I’d need 4 more clients of the same size as by > biggest one. My biggest client is 3-10 hrs/week during “non-server upgrade” > months. It would take 4 more clients of that size for me to break even with > %dayjob%, and I would need at least three of them lined up before I jumped. > If I was single it would have been a no-brainer long ago…**** > > ** ** > > Dave**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > *From:* Michael B. Smith [mailto:mich...@smithcons.com] > *Sent:* Monday, February 06, 2012 3:04 PM > > *To:* NT System Admin Issues > *Subject:* RE: OT - ugh!**** > > ** ** > > I want it now. J**** > > ** ** > > Three clients isn’t enough. I have 5 HUGE clients and close to 80 minor > (where major/minor is defined in terms of how much support they want from > me) clients.**** > > ** ** > > Webster is a lot more willing to travel than I am. I prefer to work from > my office at home (I’ve got a 13-y/o son that lives with me), and with > video chat that works for most clients. Not all of them, though. So… I plan > to travel 8-10 times a year; while Webster spends most of his time on the > road.**** > > ** ** > > Regards,**** > > ** ** > > Michael B. Smith**** > > Consultant and Exchange MVP**** > > http://TheEssentialExchange.com**** > > ** ** > > *From:* Webster [mailto:webs...@carlwebster.com] > *Sent:* Monday, February 06, 2012 5:49 PM > > *To:* NT System Admin Issues > *Subject:* Re: OT - ugh!**** > > ** ** > > I can only speak for me, and it has been feast since I went out on my own > Feb 1st last year. So far this year, the feast is even better as there is > very little agency work so I get 100% of the billables. :) Yes, I am > complaining all the way to the bank. If it gets any better, MBS is going > to want a referral fee or commission! **** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > Carl Webster**** > > Consultant and Citrix Technology Professional**** > > http://www.CarlWebster.com <http://www.carlwebster.com/>**** > > ** ** > > *From: *David Lum <david....@nwea.org> > *Reply-To: *NT Issues <ntsysadmin@lyris.sunbelt-software.com> > *Date: *Mon, 6 Feb 2012 22:31:45 +0000 > *To: *NT Issues <ntsysadmin@lyris.sunbelt-software.com> > *Subject: *RE: OT - ugh!**** > > ** ** > > That’s part of my fear of dropping %dayjob% and going 100% on my own biz – > feast or famine! With just three clients I have I’m always amazed at how > often their feast/famine cycles coincide, and they even have different > fiscal year cycles. I mean, in the span of two months I am doing an SBS > 2003 – SBS2011 swing for two of them. One of these clients I can go months > with nothing other than patching.**** > > **** > > *From:* Webster [mailto:webs...@carlwebster.com <webs...@carlwebster.com>] > > *Sent:* Monday, February 06, 2012 9:31 AM > > *To:* NT System Admin Issues > *Subject:* Re: OT - ugh! > **** > > **** > > I find myself busier than a one-arm paper hanger in a wind storm. Don't > know why it took me so long to convince MBS that I should go solo! LOL**** > > **** > > Now that my fellow CTPs know I can spell AD, I am finding myself doing a > lot of AD assessments, assisting with AD migrations and putting in 2008 R2 > AD infrastructures. I would say I am now 50% AD and 50% Citrix. I no > longer do Exchange and refer all that to MBS.**** > > **** > > I can't believe how much Citrix work I turn down because I just don't have > the time. Right now I am tentatively booked thru the end of July and > already starting to worry because no one is calling about August or > September yet! :)**** > > **** > > **** > > Carl Webster**** > > Consultant and Citrix Technology Professional**** > > http://www.CarlWebster.com <http://www.carlwebster.com/>**** > > **** > > *From: *James Rankin <kz2...@googlemail.com> > *Reply-To: *NT Issues <ntsysadmin@lyris.sunbelt-software.com> > *Date: *Mon, 6 Feb 2012 16:53:32 +0000 > > *To: *NT Issues <ntsysadmin@lyris.sunbelt-software.com> > *Subject: *Re: OT - ugh! > **** > > **** > > I ran as a contractor through a managed services company for about six > years before taking the plunge myself. Whereas now I find myself counting > the amount of extra tax I spent the last six years paying in disgust. > > It may have been the aforementioned man-in-Alaska mentioning how he could > work for 48 hours a day once he'd struck out on his own that possibly > contributed to convincing me to do the same.**** > > On 6 February 2012 15:47, Michael B. Smith <mich...@smithcons.com> wrote:* > *** > > I put off starting my own business for YEARS because I was afraid of what > I already knew. :-) Whereas, in retrospect, I wish I'd done it much earlier. > > I can think of someone else on this mailing list (who is in Alaska this > week) who waited even longer than I did. :-) > > Regards, > > Michael B. Smith > Consultant and Exchange MVP > http://TheEssentialExchange.com**** > > ** ** > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin**** > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin**** > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin**** > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin**** > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > > -- "On two occasions...I have been asked, 'Pray, Mr Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ****** IMPORTANT INFORMATION/DISCLAIMER ***** This document should be read only by those persons to whom it is addressed. If you have received this message it was obviously addressed to you and therefore you can read it, even it we didn't mean to send it to you. However, if the contents of this email make no sense whatsoever then you probably were not the intended recipient, or, alternatively, you are a mindless cretin; either way, you should immediately kill yourself and destroy your computer (not necessarily in that order). Once you have taken this action, please contact us.. no, sorry, you can't use your computer, because you just destroyed it, and possibly also committed suicide afterwards, but I am starting to digress...... * * The originator of this email is not liable for the transmission of the information contained in this communication. Or are they? Either way it's a pretty dull legal query and frankly one I'm not going to dwell on. But should you have nothing better to do, please feel free to ruminate on it, and please pass on any concrete conclusions should you find them. However, if you pass them on via email, be sure to include a disclaimer regarding liability for transmission. * * In the event that the originator did not send this email to you, then please return it to us and attach a scanned-in picture of your mother's brother's wife wearing nothing but a kangaroo suit, and we will immediately refund you exactly half of what you paid for the can of Whiskas you bought when you went to Pets** ** At Home yesterday. * * We take no responsibility for non-receipt of this email because we are running Exchange 5.5 and everyone knows how glitchy that can be. In the event that you do get this message then please note that we take no responsibility for that either. Nor will we accept any liability, tacit or implied, for any damage you may or may not incur as a result of receiving, or not, as the case may be, from time to time, notwithstanding all liabilities implied or otherwise, ummm, hell, where was I...umm, no matter what happens, it is NOT, and NEVER WILL BE, OUR FAULT! * * The comments and opinions expressed herein are my own and NOT those of my employer, who, if he knew I was sending emails and surfing the seamier side of the Internet, would cut off my manhood and feed it to me for afternoon tea. * ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin
