Hi Thomas,

Thanks a lot for your reply. Well, this seems to be a new horisont for me. Let's see, if I can go this road...

Thanks again.

>>>Hi everybody,
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>>>Where can I find a basic stuff regarding becoming a consultant? What are "billing terms"?
>>>
>>>Thanks in advance.
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>>The Software Developer's Guide from Hentzenwerke. The 1999 edition is out of print and the new one is being written.
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>Nadya;
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>A couple of years ago, Whil Hentzen gave a talk at a VFP user group meeting in San Francisco, about that very topic, just before his book on that subject was published. Somehow you should get a copy of Whils book to read. He has great ideas and will open your eyes.
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>Having worked as a consultant at home and at clients businesses, as well as a full time employee, I have my own comments to add.
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>If you are an outstanding developer with no sense of business and consulting, you will have problems. Try to separate the various elements of the business – there are many. If you work full time, I think that is the best time to try consulting, as a part time job. Look at it as a professional and not with the concept of “doing people favors”. This is a business and if you want to be a success look at the entire picture. Writing code is fun – as for the rest of it that goes along with application development, that can be a different story!
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>How will you charge? Fixed bid or hourly rate? I have found that the majority of clients have budgets (really?) and will not consider the possibility of you having a “blank check” so to speak, with the companies Bank account. That is just my reality – others will disagree with me. Just be ready for anything and have a plan before you act! Have a contract and use it. Define what will be done (it always changes) and define your hourly rate for changes to the agreed contract.
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>Some “customers” will have you spend hours talking to them for a variety of reasons. Some want you to solve their problems for free, others just want to get ideas and both are a waste of your time and effort – unless you are being paid.
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>Invest in a Lap Top – Notebook, etc. computer for demos and deliverables. Use Install Shield or a similar product. Get a CD Burner if you do not have one. For $50 to $100 a CD burner company will but your art work on a CD (a one time charge). Use your logo on the art work. Put the cost into the contract. The end result is a professional looking CD. After you test it will cost about $10 to $50 to have the CD burner company burn 1 to 10 copies with your art work. I do this and it looks great! Customers love it.
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>Understand all aspects of development – needs analysis, testing, installing, training, documentation, legal aspects and be ready to work long hours. Use a tool like MM, VFE or VMP and ask questions on user forums that are designed for such tools – this will be your extended community.
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>Good luck.
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>Tom