Table of Contents

Getting Ready
Chapter	Author	Description
How to be a Technical Writer	D. Ann Gordon	This is a resource for those interested in becoming contract technical writers.
Making the Right Choice	Ryan Yuhas	In this chapter, we’ll figure out if you have the kind of personality that easily takes on full responsibility for your own success, or if you prefer to veil the unstable nature of our times by working full–time for someone else.
Picking the Right Employment	Karen Steele	This chapter attempts to identify some commonly used methods of employment for contractors and consultants.
Tapping into the Network	Nancee Moster	This chapter focuses on the types of technical communication work, strategies for proving you’re the right person, and the skills you possess to design and create non-traditional deliverables.
Rounding up the Resources	Mark Hanigan	This chapter focuses on the hats you might wear in handling those wonderfully, scary bigger contracts that require more human resources to complete. These hats are Project Manager and Human Resources Manager.
Moving from Academe to Industry	Thomas Barker	This chapter discusses the move from technical communication educator to technical communication professional from the perspective of one considering supplementing academic with commercial work.
Developing Your Consultancy	Patrice Elliott-Mace	Before leaping into independence, consider how you will develop your practice. After all, how you start impacts your success. That success will not be predicated on luck or chance; it depends on your abilities and total commitment to building your consultancy.
Working as an Independent
Chapter	Author	Description
Managing Independent Work	Suzanne Hosie	You’re writer, manager, and administrator. You have to get the work done and manage the project and do all the administrative tasks, such as billing and bill-paying, as well as marketing. This chapter describes the complexities involved in running a small technical writing business and focuses on how to manage it all.
Working with Customers	Betsy Frick	How does the way we work with customers affect the our success? This chapter covers customer relationships, getting the word out about your services and abilities, educating customers, and using bottom–line thinking.
Selling Your Business	D. Ann Gordon	Independent consultants need to find enough clients to match their overhead, and contractors need to land another contract after the current one ends. As a result, contractors and independent consultants need to know how to sell themselves.
Writing Contracts and Letters of Agreement	Betsy Frick	Always have an agreement in writing before starting any paying project. What kind of written agreement do you need? The author discusses in detail two documents that work.
Basing Yourself Overseas	Jerry Kurtz	Establishing yourself overseas involves momentous change. It can be an adventure, but it’s not something to take on casually. This chapter can help you ease the transition.
Basing Yourself in the USA	Karthik Sundaram	This chapter describes some of the issues and ways by those who wish to immigrate to and do business in the US. The author learned these from personal experience: he includes useful references and advises immigrants to seek advice from an immigration attorney and other financial and legal advisors.
Restarting Your Business in a New City	Linda Gallagher	How do you approach moving? Do you have to start over again? Where do you start? My experience might help you in the future.
Taking Care of Business
Chapter	Author	Description
Protecting Yourself & Your Business — Insurance	Beth Lisberg Najberg	One of the biggest costs of doing business for an independent consultant is insurance. How do you decide what types of insurance to carry and how to purchase it?
Estimating Documentation Projects	Barbara Philbrick	This chapter shows you how to identify the scope of a project, deal with factors that affect the project so that you can accurately estimate the work.
Managing Money and Finances	Shannon du Plessis	This chapter addresses budgeting, savings, and investment strategies, debt reduction, record keeping and bookkeeping, and income tax considerations for the self-employed.
Setting Up Your Office	Monique Semp	This chapter provides a series of checklists to use when setting up your office, including tips about often overlooked items. By planning ahead, you can avoid frantic scrambling and extra expense when clients assume you’re set up to meet their needs.
Growing Your Business	Judith L. Glick-Smith, MSCM	No matter which way you choose to grow you must be diligent. This chapter assumes that you want to increase the amount of money you make and discusses ways to do it.
Deciding Whether to Incorporate	Alice Fugate	Is incorporating worth it for small business owners? In this chapter, we consider the pros and cons of incorporation and look at the types of corporations. Since incorporation is more than just a one-time decision, we also look at its ongoing responsibilities.
Planning for Retirement	Gina Evans	This chapter offers things to consider as you create a plan and build the resources for your retirement.
Facing Ethical Issues	Henry W. Meyerding	This chapter deals with issues and circumstances that define professional ethics. The focus of this chapter is to provide a framework to set and keep to your own standards of ethical excellence.