>Michelle:
> I agree with John Harvey for the most part. However, mastering is a relative term. It's My Opinion that a consultants should feel confident in what ever development tools they are using before stating that they provide consulting services with them. My first VB contract was to produce a guest login/logout tracking system for a manufacturing plant. A user could pull a list and see who was in plant and who left plant in case of emergency. It took a day to write and a very simplistic knowledge of VB.
>
>Network with other programmers in your area to see what type of contracts are available and follow John's suggetion on finding a part-time contract. I'm doing this now. I have 3 part-time contracts for about 20 hours per week plus my real job which is my steady pay check.
>
>Good Luck.

Right now, I'm pretty confident I could handle a pure VFP project. What I'm worried about is getting into things like client server and such that I know by name and know nothing else about. But I do have the luxory (gads, how do you spell that?) of time. I don't have a pressing need to go into fulltime contracting right away. And my current job only takes 40 hours a week, so I could do some part-time work in addition. And I can learn things like client/server, SQL server, multiple tiers, and all those things I hear about.

So I'm feeling pretty optimistic. I think I can do this.

Thanks,

-Michelle