[thelist] Fulltime to freelance

[Joel D Canfield]

> scope creep is inevitable when you are
> dealing with non-technical people. And really even when you are
> dealing with technical people. Over time, you will be able to identify
> areas where scope creep will occur and build that into your estimate
> ahead of time.

indeed; this is where communication (I think you mentioned it farther up
in the stuff I trimmed; d'oh!) is vital. it's amazing how cooperative
people can be when you explain, calmly and rationally, why the thing
they're asking wasn't included. yes, you'll get folks who say "what do
you mean, you can't add another bathroom? bathrooms are the smallest
room in the house and you can't give me one teensy little spare bath?"
but it seems like the better my communication skills, the fewer of them
I run across.
 
> Around here, the mantra is: work hard, charge a fair price, don't be
> afraid to admit you don't know everything and produce quality
> end-products. I firmly believe that if we stick to that, the business
> will be just fine. It's worked for 10 years and we do most of our
> business through word of mouth and partnerships we've built with other
> service agencies.

Randal, if only more small businesses understood this. I *also* firmly
believe that if you stick to that, you'll be fine. Especially if you've
already been doing it for a decade and you're still getting
word-of-mouth.

joel