outsourcing & subcontracting News and Other Resources

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The Consulting Bill Rate Resource Guide

April 1, 2012 12:00am PDT

What can you, as a business-of-one, charge for your consulting or contracting time? (For the benefit of the aspiring consultants, this is also called a 'bill rate.') While no consultant is ever...

Provided by: MBO Partners

Blog Post

Tactical tips for creating a successful deliverables-based SOW

March 26, 2012 1:50pm PDT

When you're creating a deliverables-based Statement of Work, Ken Hardin advises that you err on the side of clarity.

4 Latest comment by mikewor

Blog Post

Offshoring to end, as businesses run out of jobs to outsource

March 23, 2012 9:25am PDT

Analysts predict that by 2022 major US and European businesses will have run out of IT roles to send offshore.

150 Latest comment by NickNielsen

Blog Post

The mistake that nearly killed my consulting career (and how to star in a Vegas show)

March 9, 2012 5:53pm PST

A TechRepublic member recounts how shifting his skill set when he transitioned to becoming a consultant allows him to earn more and work less.

12 Latest comment by PaulCFry

Blog Post

How to move your consulting business to the next level

March 7, 2012 1:50pm PST

Chip Camden offers advice to an IT consultant who can't land project management jobs because he doesn't have experience in that field.

2 Latest comment by PMPsicle

Blog Post

Don't fall in love (with your methodology)

February 29, 2012 6:20am PST

No methodology is a magic talisman that can ward off optimistic schedules or lack of stakeholder support.

6 Latest comment by csudholz

Blog Post

10 tips for remembering names

February 23, 2012 2:31pm PST

From both a professional and a social standpoint, forgetting people's names can be a liability. Here are a few strategies for keeping names in your head.

5 Latest comment by rds3wave

Blog Post

Three factors that fuel successful outsourcing projects

February 23, 2012 8:20am PST

The success or failure of an outsourcing project can hinge on certain qualities in the relationship between customer and supplier.

Blog Post

My fountain moment, or why persistence pays off for consultants

February 13, 2012 1:40pm PST

Chip Camden recounts when he realized he was making it as a consultant, and offers encouragement to consultants who might be feeling self-doubt like he did.

7 Latest comment by Sterling "chip" Camden

Blog Post

Nudge stakeholders into addressing project issues now

February 3, 2012 9:49am PST

Ken Hardin shares tricks on how to get stakeholders to answer your questions about a project's business requirements. If you don't get answers now, it will cost more to figure out later.

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Whitepapers

IBM and SAP: Delivering enterprise solutions

January 25, 2012 12:00am PST

IBM supports SAP clients with business consulting services with global implementation and outsourcing capabilities plus infrastructure of optimized servers (mainframe, POWER, x, BladeCenter) and...

Provided by: IBM

Blog Post

What SOPA/PIPA would mean for IT consultants

January 17, 2012 5:18pm PST

Chip Camden explores how SOPA/PIPA could impact tech consultants' business for the bad and possibly the good -- as long as you don't mind losing some sleep.

130 Latest comment by osenberremmi

Blog Post

Two New Year's resolutions for IT consultancies

December 30, 2011 12:08pm PST

Year-end is a natural time to review professional progress and make improvement plans. Is your consultancy proving successful, and if so, how are you defining that success?

5 Latest comment by BALTHOR

Blog Post

IT Consultant: Top 10 posts of 2011

December 22, 2011 11:51am PST

A laptop that holds a special place in one techie's heart topped the list of our IT Consultant posts of 2011. Dirty tricks, failure, and free software were other topics of interest to readers this...

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Blog Post

Avoid taking business away from your clients

December 19, 2011 11:40am PST

When you have a client whose market regularly overlaps yours, Chip Camden notes that it's important to communicate openly and frequently about boundaries and to be gracious.

4 Latest comment by Sterling "chip" Camden

Blog Post

Five ways to lose out on a consulting gig

December 14, 2011 3:50pm PST

Read about mistakes to avoid in order keep your phone ringing with new IT consulting projects.

Blog Post

Defend against the shock of contract transition

December 13, 2011 11:56am PST

Transitioning from one contract to the next doesn't necessarily get easier the longer you work in consulting. Learn two ways to reduce the pain of contract transitions.

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Blog Post

Billing for research on IT consulting projects

November 21, 2011 11:46pm PST

Chip Camden gives a TechRepublic member advice about billing clients for research, which he notes can be hard to estimate.

26 Latest comment by prh47

Blog Post

Achieving success as an IT consultant

November 16, 2011 12:06pm PST

Independent consultant Chip Camden shares how his ideas about what it means to be a success in this field have changed depending on his motives, values, and priorities.

43 Latest comment by Sterling "chip" Camden