Employing Other Contractors

[1yearlater]

Hi all, has any of you ever thought of employing your own team of contractors? And then applying for contracts as a team?

Could it work or would you end up falling out?

I'd like to hear your views.
Cheers,

[Lucifer Box]

Hi all, has any of you ever thought of employing your own team of contractors?
Yes

And then applying for contracts as a team?
Yes, but you are tendering for projects, not applying for contracts.

Could it work
Yes

Would you end up falling out?
Possibly, depending on how business-oriented you are and how professional your gimps are.

Best bet might be just to set up an agency, possibly a specialist one.

[1yearlater]

Cheers Lucifer,

so you reckon setting up as an agency and tendering would be the way to go, so that would obviously be direct with the client. Have you had any experience in cold calling for work. The contracts that i have worked on have always been setup via an agent.

[expat]

Cheers Lucifer,

so you reckon setting up as an agency and tendering would be the way to go, so that would obviously be direct with the client. Have you had any experience in cold calling for work. The contracts that i have worked on have always been setup via an agent.

Agents can go through agents. More agents, more rake-off, less for the grunts, but hey....

[1yearlater]

So you mean, applying for jobs on behalf of someone elsesthat an agent is advertising. I suppose this is just like using a substitute like you can agree in your contract.

[ratewhore]

I've used suncontractors for primarily direct work with my clients. I've had no problems but then I've only used subbys I know and have worked with previously.

Where I have used subbys for agency work, I have found the agents can't handle the relationship very well, accounting systems not set up for multiple contractors through the same Ltd etc. In fact I dropped an agency because of their ineptitude and lost around £30K per year because of it. But, it meant less stress to me overall and was therefore a good move.

If what you're suggesting is going to the agencies as a team, I don't think they'll care. It works better for direct relationships (in my humble experience).

[errorista]

Hi all, has any of you ever thought of employing your own team of contractors? And then applying for contracts as a team?

Could it work or would you end up falling out?

I'd like to hear your views.
Cheers,

You would need to put the team together to meet the requirements of the tender. Perfect really but you need to engage the contractors AFTER you secure the contract? Its more sales than IT but IT needs sales these days.



You have a contract in mind?

:P

error

[1yearlater]

Havent really got a Contract in mind, just like the idea of getting a group together and moving betwwen contracts with each other.

Just an idea at this stage really, like Lucifer says i'd probably be acting as an agency. Dont really know how I would feel about that!

[errorista]

[QUOTE=1yearlater]Havent really got a Contract in mind, just like the idea of getting a group together and moving betwwen contracts with each other.

Its not a bad idea if you could sell confidence in a group of contractors who can effectively create focused teams to deliver completed projects.

A vehicle to bring it to the clients is needed.



Me thinking 'mission impossible' type specialists lol. Most contractors have the motivation so pulling a team together should be possible. Also it should be possible to create a contractor only database, maybe start by using only fully legit IT contractors with limited companies? Companies House gives you the first credibility point. ;o)

I like the thinking though, with good branding who knows?

error

[DodgyAgent]

[QUOTE=errorista]

Havent really got a Contract in mind, just like the idea of getting a group together and moving betwwen contracts with each other.

Its not a bad idea if you could sell confidence in a group of contractors who can effectively create focused teams to deliver completed projects.

A vehicle to bring it to the clients is needed.



Me thinking 'mission impossible' type specialists lol. Most contractors have the motivation so pulling a team together should be possible. Also it should be possible to create a contractor only database, maybe start by using only fully legit IT contractors with limited companies? Companies House gives you the first credibility point. ;o)

I like the thinking though, with good branding who knows?

error

You should concentrate on gaining influence with clients, seeing problems and putting forward solutions. Most clients have many opportunities and end up going to EDS or CapGemini warts and all. Forget branding, forget the means of delivery, if the client likes you and trusts you, finding the resources to fill the need will not be a problem.

There is little point in using contractors unless you/the client really want their level of skill, better off employing some cheap Hungarians, and using the extra profits to get your message accross to other potential customers.