by Meredith Little http://articles.techrepublic.com.com...1-1031201.html Takeaway: Subcontractors are often in a dubious position: They're not quite independent, yet they aren't employees, either. How can you make subcontracting work for you? Here's some advice from an expert.


Independent contactors who subcontract find themselves in an ambiguous situation: They stop being completely independent, but they aren’t quite employees. If you, as an independent contractor, decide to subcontract, you probably won’t have as much freedom to do your work when and how you want. It’s also likely that you’ll need to budget extra time into your work for another layer of approval.

In this article, I’ll recommend ways to navigate such issues and help you make the difference between being part of a great project and contributing to a disaster.

Tip #1: Adjust your attitude
It’s easy to jump at the chance to subcontract. After all, you’re getting a project handed to you: You don’t have to find the client, negotiate the project, or establish the scope.

The flip side is that you won’t have the kind of control over the project that you’re used to. The prime contractor is likely to conduct business differently than you do, and you may disagree with how to implement a solution or deal with a difficult client.

Deal with the situation by anticipating this loss of freedom. Before you take on the project, ask the prime contractor if you are free to express differences of opinion about the work or the client. The answer should be “yes,” but remember that ultimately, the prime contractor will have the final say.

You must also be prepared to present a unified... Click to read the rest of this post right here at Virtual Assistant Forums.




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Great post. Thank you for sharing!

Laura

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Laura Kelly-Pifer