>Jacci's points are well taken. Marketing yourself as somebody who can offer a broader array of services is good. She mentioned a guy named Charles. They guy in question is Chuck Hankey - a very very good frend of mine. This guy is a long time foxer that has always had it right. Watch what people do, take that, and make money with it. Chuck is one of the smartest guys I know. He is a great poker player, and I guess that has a lot to do with it. Chuck as a lot of common sense, something this and many developer communities are in short supply of.
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>The real payback is in billing yourself as a consultant - a real consultant. Being a problem solver is where it's at. Programming the solution is not. If you are merely a programmer, that is all you will do. If you can solve problems, there is no limit to where you can go.
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>Many folks "think" they are problem solvers. In reality, they are nothing more than code jockeys.... And if somebody is just a code jockey, I don't care if s/he is programming Fox, VB, or Java, they will be most limited indeed.
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>< JVP >
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Very good points! I struggle with the word "consultant" because too many computer consultants are NOT *real* consultants and this leaves a bad taste for clients who have been burned by them. Being able to provide a complete solution to a business problem is what being a consultant is all about. I get so much satisfaction out of designing and crafting a solution and installing it for the customer. When their eyes light up and they realize how much you just improved their productivity ... that's the icing on the cake! Too many *programmers* go to work, punch in, pound out code, punch out, go home and then forget about it. Where's the pride and satisfaction in that?

Cathy