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Part Two: Technical Self-Employment For All

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the business-cards-for-all dept.

MoNickels writes "I've posted part two of the article series encouraging the unemployed to take up freelance technical support, including advice on knowing if this work is right for you, marketing yourself, learning on the job, handling and educating clients, managing the business, the temperament required, and the negative aspects of the work." See part one if you missed it.

4 of 270 comments (clear)

  1. Great Checklist by dlosey · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The personality checklist fits the bill of both a technician and an entrepenuer very well.

    I'd also say it is a pretty decent description of the typical slashdot reader, IMHO

  2. Re:This is an easy one by Zooka · · Score: 5, Insightful

    2. Never admit that you don't know something - act like you know everything that has to do with computing

    2a. Never get caught in a lie. Admitting you don't know something might be a negative, but it's better than proving yourself to be deceitful.

  3. Re:Only one question.. by PCM2 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Ummm, I don't know, maybe pay for it, like you do when you're working for someone else?
    Yes, yes, spoken very authoritatively and with the requisite amount of condescension for a Slashdot poster.

    Fact is, however, insurance is a much better deal when you get it through an organization than if you get it as an individual. That's because health insurance is a numbers game. If they can sign up an entire company, it's a pretty safe bet that not everyone in that company is going to be hospitalized at once. If it's just you they're signing up -- who knows what your problem is?

    So it isn't just a matter of whether you're employer is paying for it or if you're paying for it yourself. As an individual, you're typically going to pay a higher monthly rate and still get a higher deductible or fewer benefits. Coverage for your children or spouse is going to be still more.

    So maybe the question shouldn't have been, "what do you do for insurance," but "how do you get good, quality, comprehensive healthcare in the United States as a self-employed person"?
    --
    Breakfast served all day!
  4. non-for-profit companies as starters. by KKBaSS · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Snag a local non-profit & help them, get them going with all the latest
    slickest stuff from novell and what opensource has to offer as a show of what you can do.
    http://www.giftsinkind.org/ has a great Novell product donation policy, &
    http://www.techsoup.org/ has some other good stuff too (i want that 24port
    cisco switch, can i be a nonprofit too? :))

    Also check out www.computerclub.org/nonprofit.htm, that has some good links
    on it also, & had good luck with members of www.cristina.org too like reboot
    from Atlanta.

    Plunk a couple of these very satisfied not-for-profit companies up as testimonials to your work & you may very well be off & running with your own consulting biz. Just dont forget about the nonprofits once you actually have paying clients.