[website-critique] Re: Freelance Contract
- From: "Vania Smrkovski" <vania@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <websitecritique@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 17:47:53 -0500
I hardly equate mowing the lawn with mainframe programming or web design,
but if you wish.... I do thank you for your comments. And in one sense you
answered my questions by saying that contracts are not strictly necessary,
which is something I did not know. On the other hand, I have colleagues who
have done work and did not get paid, and I do want to at least address that
minimal need.
Also, in the one case, since this is a long term relationship, it seems
there should be some formal statement of the relationship, whether all of my
concerns are contractually stipulated or not.
Have you never come across any situation which required such protections? I
mean, in one sense, isn't a simple work order itself a "contract"?
Thank you and Peter for the links. At first glance, they look fantastic.
You say you've done this kind of work for 20 years. What has been your
experience with tax and insurance issues? I can probably get my wife's
Unviersity Student insurance, but I would be interested if you have other
thoughts, as well.
Thanks!
A lot!
Vania
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jack Hand" <jackhand@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <websitecritique@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2001 9:53 PM
Subject: [website-critique] Re: Freelance Contract
>
> Vania,
>
> I have been a mainframe contract programmer for the past 20 years.
> All during this time, my clients have had the ability to dismiss me
> for any reason at any time. They then owed me only for the work
> done to date. And, during the past 20 years I had the moral
> obligation to give them at least 2 weeks notice. The deal was very
> one-sided. However, both I and my clients were satisfied.
>
> Would you sign a contract with a person to mow your lawn that
> required you to give them a month's pay if you dismissed them ?
>
> If you require such a contract, there is an excellent chance that
> they may go find someone else. As you said, things currently are
> 'tight'. And, that makes it a buyer's market.
>
> As for the contracts, check:
>
> You can get them all at:
>
> http://www.proposalkit.com/info.htm
>
> or
>
> http://www.presentationkit.com/info.htm
>
> It's a bargain no matter which one you go with. The
> contracts have been written to conform to UK/US/CAN
> law (you get all three versions in the Pro Edition).
>
> Good luck. ;-)))
>
> >From: "Vania Smrkovski" <smrkovski@xxxxxxxx>
> >
> >To all:
> > Hello again. I joined this list a few months ago, and even managed
to
> >get in a few notes of my own, receiving some excellent responses as well.
> >
> > Unfortunately, I then got laid off, which in East Tennessee is a bit
> >more foreboding than, say, in the Bay Area. The industry here is a bit
> >tight. I've been job hunting for over a month now. [sigh]
> >
> > Anyhow, not bitching, just providing context to this email request.
I
> >was toying around with freelance for a while, but ultimately decided I
> >didn't feel confident enough, yet, in my sales skills to keep busy long
> >term. However, as of yesterday, I might have the opportunity to work a
> >"retainer" type contract for a company. $1000 per month for maintaining
> >their site and building training materials. Given the hours we've agreed
> >on, it could be very good for me.
> > It opens the freelance door wide open for me. Using a comination of
> >freelance contracts and similar "retainers" to this one, I could afford
> >insurance and keep busy from home. There are a few other people who have
> >expressed a desire to do this sort of thing, too.
> >
> > I want to get a leg up on how I might manage this. So I'm
researching
> >insurance, tax law and contract law. Can anyone provide me some
> >generalized tips?
> >
> > Specifically, does anyone have a copy of a standard contract you use
> >for clients? I want to make a contract that binds us for 6, 9 or 12
> >months, with the option for them to break the contract with, say, a
month's
> >extra pay, and for me to break the contract with the responsibility for
me
> >to give them all materials and to provide a list of other qualified
> >developers who could take over. I also want to maintain at least the
> >rights to use their work for my own promotional material.
> > And then there are the many things I cannot think of that can hurt
me.
> >
> > Do you alternatively know any special books, web sites or people who
> >can provide a reasonably secure contract like this for me?
> >
> > I have a wife in school, so I need insurance, a baseline income to
> >manage finances, enough knowledge on taxes to make sure have enough saved
> >at the end of the year or quarterly, etc, to keep my nose clean.
> >
> >Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
> >
> >Vania
>
>
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