TeleContracting

TeleContracting A New Beginning And New Hurdles Richard A. Johnson	Reviewing my life's work experiences, I believe I was grooming myself all along to become a TeleContractor. To the best of my knowledge, the term "TeleContracting" was coined in 1997 by Nick C. Casale, the "Chief" at Legacy Data Solutions. TeleContracting is analogous to telecommuting. The definition would be, "One who works as an independent contractor and who performs work for a client primarily via electronic means, especially through the Internet and e-mail." I immediately applied the word to describe myself the instant I saw it.
BACKGROUND	Over the course of many years, and I am not going to say how many, I worked in many different organizations and held positions ranging from clerical to supervisory in administration, operations and management. I have also owned and run my own consulting companies and a retail store. Organizations have included private, governmental and quasi-governmental, and have varied from sole proprietorships, to partnerships, to corporations, to membership.
	After serving for several years as Executive Officer of a board of Realtors®, in August 1996, I started a new editorial and computer support service. This was not new to me. I had run an editorial and publication production service in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. until 1986 when I returned to my hometown of Kane, Pennsylvania. A business limited to editorial services would work in a major metropolitan area but could not work in my new area for the very reason I returned to it-the population is very sparse.
	Immediately upon return, I accepted the newly created position of branch manager of a local savings and loan association which gave me the opportunity to become reacquainted with area businesses, residents and available services. The savings and loan crisis of the time caused the organization to eliminate my position and terminate my employment after a year. Fortunately, I was in a position to immediately start an editorial service which quickly grew into a multi-service retail business which included "creative" photocopying and sales of office and computer furniture and supplies as well as the editorial services. The recession of the late 1980's had been so severe for so long that by 1992 it put my new business out of business.
A NEW BEGINNING	By the end of 1995, the Internet was bounding onto the scene and re-ignited the entrepreneurial spirit in me to take advantage of this rapidly developing method of communication and commerce. It did not take much to stir my imagination to see the very real ability of being able to provide writing services to anyone anywhere in the country, not to mention the entire world! The importance of being able to work this way was immediately apparent to me: I would not be dependent only on the local economy, nor would I have to invest in a building or merchandise for resale. Best of all, I could still live where I wanted to, in rural Pennsylvania, and not have to relocate to a city for work.
	The first hurdle to overcome was my old PC XT; I needed a Pentium computer to have the latest in technological capabilities, and in order to get connected to and learn about the Internet. I had started my first business in the early 1980's with a TI-99/4A home computer and had been connected to the Internet for a short time in the early CompuServe days. Although I had upgraded to the XT for my last business, I realized a lot was changing very rapidly, not the least of which was that I could not connect to the Internet or think of doing business with that old XT!
	By March 1996 I had purchased a Pentium PC loaded with hundreds of pre-installed programs, and added more sophisticated word-processing and database programs, among others. Then I learned what my second hurdle was. It was not enough to have a Pentium computer, a 28.8 Kbps modem, a telephone line and an Internet Service Provider. I needed a better telephone connection! Everything was set up, checked and rechecked, and worked perfectly except for one minor detail-I could not connect to the Internet. To make a long story short, there was a minor wiring error in the local phone company's switch office, but it took them nearly six months to admit it and fix it!
ON THE INTERNET	In August 1996 I started Arden Services to provide business writing, editorial services and computer support. Initially, I advertised locally while quickly browsing and learning the Internet. By November, I had mastered web page creation and put my first page up on the great, big World Wide Web-Welcome To My World! I advertised my services on several web source sites and listed my web site with some search engines. I am located in an extremely rural area in the middle of the Allegheny National Forest in northwestern Pennsylvania, which brings in the scary part. How was I going to get business and my web site and services noticed in that vast electronic world consisting of hundreds of thousands of web sites?
	I had no idea how to find anyone who could use my services or who would use my services in such an unorthodox manner. In January, 1997, a potential client contacted me via e-mail inquiring about my services. After exchanging a few e-mail messages describing how he could send me documents, how I would write, re-write or edit them, and how they would be returned for his review, within a few days, I had my first "e-client." The client, who is a medical doctor and president of his own medical information systems company, has offices in Los Angeles, California and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
	Using e-mail and e-mail attachments, I contracted to perform services for the company. Over the course of a year (up to the time this was written) we transferred MS Word documents, computer program demo files, and software program help-on-line files between us with extreme ease. We actually can deal quicker, and less expensively, with each other over the Internet, whether he is in Los Angeles or Buenos Aires, than if we were located in the same city just a few blocks away and transferred the documentation physically! My client renewed our contract after the first six months, and has stated many times how pleased he is with my service and the ease with which we can operate over the Internet.
	I have made other contacts using this medium, and have occasionally worked as an associate of an "e-friend" who is located in Chicago. Through a subcontract arrangement, I worked for one research company to research stories and biographies on some world figures, and helped write short essays about each. For this assignment, I worked only with my friend. In another instance, I researched web sites for a major publisher and wrote short summaries of the sites' contents. These were to be printed as additional references at the end of each chapter of a new edition of a 16-chapter book. This assignment entailed three-way electronic interactions, which included dealing with the publisher located in a third state as well as with my friend.
SNAIL MAIL?	Ninety percent of these assignments and contacts with the clients have been performed strictly via the Internet, specifically through e-mail correspondence and e-mail attachments. In a few instances, due to the person on the other end not having PC-compatible equipment, some faxes have been exchanged. Occasionally, I have had telephone conversations as well, but for the most part, they are more for adding a personal touch and have not really been necessary. There also has been minimal use of snail mail (U.S. Postal Service) or express mail services. The main use of mail has been for receipt of checks in payment for services. The only use of express mail has been to receive the original of an item being worked on, for example, an original of the previous edition of the book mentioned earlier, and in another instance to receive a sample of the plastic case in which the software program would be packaged.
	My service does include coordinating when required with appropriate vendors, such as printers, to produce the finished product. This, of course, would necessitate shipment of printed items via non-electronic means. No one has yet asked, however, to go beyond providing a finished product other than in electronic format via e-mail attachment. And, if the document is to be a web page, it is not necessary to physically send it-it can be simply uploaded via FTP or, as with other documents, sent as an e-mail attachment.
FINAL HURDLE	The final hurdle has yet to be overcome. That actually consists of two closely placed hurdles: the first is marketing-getting noticed in the crowd, or somehow finding a potential client; and, finally, convincing a potential client that the work can be accomplished via e-mail, that it can be done as quickly or even more quickly than someone working in the client's office, and that it can be less expensive for them.
An interesting sidebar to this final hurdle is that most organizations have the equipment and Internet connections to work this way. Their existing staff probably has extensive experience in both supervising the work to be done and in working on or using the Internet for either business or personal reasons. However, many are "afraid" to take the chance to work with a distant TeleContractor. And, I think, it has more to do with their lack of confidence in their own ability to do the work that way than it has to do with distrust of the contractor. Oddly, even the most sophisticated computer hardware and software manufacturers with leading edge products and web sites require applicants to be on-site employees and will not consider TeleContracting. This also includes some organizations that are strictly electronic businesses, that is to say, all their business is done online, no physical products, sales or service facilities for customers. Yet, when they advertise for help, it is for on-site help only.	I have proved through several assignments that it not only can work over the Internet, but that it does work. Is there any doubt that it can be quicker when a several megabyte electronic file transfers to any location within minutes and the quickest a physical transfer would be is 24 hours? Of course, if client and contractor are located in the same city the physical transfer might be reduced to an hour or two, but only with disruption to the schedules of either or both. And, it can be less expensive: Think of the savings due to the fact that the work is done in MY office on MY equipment using MY furniture and utilities! Not the least, by using contractors instead of employees, the client saves money by not paying taxes and benefits. Then too, studies have shown that home workers are actually more productive than workers in the office.
	Although I have yet to make a sustainable living TeleContracting utilizing the Internet, I believe it is just a matter of time before I and others who have set up similar businesses will be as busy or busier than any store-front location serving a local area. TeleContracting is at the forefront of Internet commerce.
NECESSARY EQUIPMENT FOR TELECONTRACTING	Computer: You will want to have the most up-to-date personal computer available and within your budget at the time you start. It probably should be an IBM-compatible, Pentium class with as much RAM (random access memory) and as big a hard drive (minimum 2 Gigabytes) as you can afford, and a CD-ROM drive. If you prefer Mac computers, be sure you get one that includes PC compatibility or you will be limiting your client base. Modem: Get the fastest modem on the market. As of this writing 56 Kbps is the fastest "standard" modem, and there are two protocols. Be sure whichever you buy can be upgraded to the other type in case it becomes the new standard. An ISDN modem and telephone line is faster yet, but is something of an extravagance for a startup. Internet Service Provider (ISP): Try to find a local ISP with full service including e-mail and web page space. Most services include these for no more than $20.00 per month, unlimited connection, and no additional charges for connection time. Printer: You will need some kind of printer. The type of service you provide will dictate the quality of printer you need. If you are a programmer and all your projects will be data, whether electronically submitted to your client or submitted on disks or tape, an inexpensive, average quality printer will probably be sufficient. If you will be providing writing or graphic services, and intend to submit final printed copy, you will require at least one high quality printer. Research your printer thoroughly, they can range in price from less than $200 to several thousands of dollars! Software: Your primary business software will depend on the service you offer. If you do not know what software program(s) your target market uses, do some research to find out. There will usually be one or two programs of choice among businesses in the same industry. Pick one or the other and, if you are not already familiar with it, learn it intimately. Scanner: Many services need the ability to scan documents and photos. Like printers, there is a vast range in quality and prices available to suit any need. Fax: Many clients and customers will expect you to have fax capabilities, and most expect it to be on a dedicated telephone line, that is, not the same number as your voice phone. There are certain advantages to faxing some documents rather than sending them by another means. In some cases, a Fax/Phone program in your computer will be adequate, in others, a stand-alone fax machine may be necessary. If you will primarily fax documents prepared on your computer, or if you have a scanner, the fax/modem will probably suffice. Internet Browser and E-mail Program: Although you could probably live without a browser, you most likely will not want to. The e-mail program, available as part of Internet Explorer or Netscape, should handle any e-mail messages you need to send or receive. There are other, independently produced, e-mail programs (and browsers) that have their own claims to fame and, if you need some unusual feature, you may want to do additional research. Home Page or Web Site: You will almost certainly want your own web site. Put your business name, the services you provide and all the methods by which you may be contacted on the site. Be sure to include your e-mail address, postal address, phone number and fax number as a minimum. You may be able to learn to produce and upload your own pages, or you should be able to find someone on the Internet (literally anywhere in the world) who will produce a site for you at a reasonable cost. Realize, however, that your web site's information will probably need to be changed frequently to keep it current and, if it is not too complicated a site, you may be better off doing it yourself. Uninterruptible Power Source (UPS): Not much is likely to be more unnerving than a sudden power failure or a surge that could damage or destroy not only many hours or days of work, but your computer as well. Many low-cost products are available and should be included in the purchase of your equipment. Think of it as a very cheap insurance policy protecting both your work and your equipment. This is not equipment or software, but be sure to check your local and state laws to be sure you are in compliance with any doing-business requirements they may have, for example, business licenses, zoning requirements, sales tax collection and sales tax license, and so forth.
© 1998 Richard A. Johnson All Rights Reserved Arden Services E-mail: Information at ArdenWebSales.com	Use your back button to return to the site that sent your here. Click on Arden Services for Web-site Hosting & Design. Click Article 3 for *"Will the Right Office Furniture Prevent Injuries?"* Click Article 2 to read an article about Entrepreneurs. Click Welcome To My World to find links to all of my pages, including business, personal information and my favorite links.	`Most graphic images © 1996, 1997 Randy D. Ralph at Icon BAZAAR`