In a message dated 98-03-31 11:28:43 EST, [log in to unmask] writes:
> There are some folks who have "independent income" or family
> weath they can fall back on in times of need. I think it is hard for them
to
> truly know what it is like to not have that type of resource.
I've noticed this myself. I feel sorry for them, usually they act like they
don't know what to do with themselves.
> Often people or organizations will ask me to donate my consulting or hands-
> on services to their preservation project.
As a contractor our tendency is to provide free information on a speculation
basis with the intent that the *marketing* effort will lead to contract work,
which usually has a higher dollar volume than for consulting. In the end, we
hope the cost of the consulting gets wrapped into the overhead for the
contract work. The problem we have is often falling into the trap of giving
away the information and not getting the job. This is a constant conflict as
to allocation of resources, like, how much time to spend with a customer that
does not seem to be going anywhere. Whenever we have asked for money for the
consulting aspect we either don't get any further with the customer, and
therefore losing out on the potential of good contracting profits. Or we get
the consulting work, and then get bogged down because we really do not have
the infrastructure in place to do things like write neat looking reports with
nice pictures. The fact that I can write reports and keep my facts somewhat
straight keeps me busy, but it neglects my role of keeping a LOT of people
busy. So we try to minimize our consulting role. Our policy is that if we go
through a consulting/bid cycle three times with a customer and do not get
paying work then we move on. Usually on the third cycle we let them know that
it means the end of the free ride. There are other threshold criteria that we
gage with potential customers to determine if they are serious. I realize that
our position on consulting impacts on design professionals by diluting the
field, but many times it is either owners who will not go to a design
professional regardless, or design professionals themselves who are asking us
for information. We realize this is not our primary business, reduces our
effectiveness in core competentcies, and increasingly we will refer a
potential customer to a design professional. Then again, we find we need to be
very cautious in making referals as they often backfire.
> This puts me in an interesting bind, because writing articles is a regular
for-profit part of my business, something many folks do "just for fun", on a
pro bono basis.
You share this with ALL writers. I prefer getting paid for my writings, but
will publish without payment in the hopes that eventually I will get paid
after building a reputation. I became a stonemason & contractor because it was
easier than being a writer. We were close to the starving line before I got
serious about following a career in construction. In 30 years of writing
poetry I have been paid once, $5.00 by a local pennysaver. I do a bit better
on the non-fiction articles. I get paid nothing for writing on the I-way.
> Giving workshops and seminars used to be pro-bono for me, but is now a for-
profit offering of my business.
For us it is an aspect of marketing and positioning for an anticipated amount
of contract work to result in return.
][<en Follett
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