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YOU CAN (AND MAYBE SHOULD) BE A CONSULTANT

Dear Colleague:

My name is Alan N. Canton, the author of ComputerMoney: Making Serious Dollars ($80,000+) In High-Tech Consulting. I am a software systems engineer so I won't give you any hype, b.s., or blue sky.

My basic message is that in today's economy you should investigate consulting. Do you know anyone who is a consultant? Things are very different than they were a few years ago. People like us are giving up full-time jobs for the consulting world. Defense firms are using us again, the computer business is in in need of us, health care wants us, and every company is looking for ways to eliminate employees in favor of contractors. All the trade journals tell the same story. Whether you're an engineer, pro-grammer, analyst, tech-writer, project manager, data-center technician, etc. there is no reason you can see some real earning potential as a consultant.

Consultants are in demand. Full-time jobs are scarce because employees are a costly problem. Consultants are a cost-effective solution.

Let's talk about money. Even if you have so-called job security, do you have financial security? In short, are you making what you are really worth? Try this. Take a look at your superiors. This is where you will be in a few years. Do they live the lifestyle you want? Do they drive the kind of cars and take the types of vacations you want? Is what they make enough for you? Do you get a raise (like the CEO) even though the company loses money? If you work your buns off, or invent a great widget, or streamline some operation, or design a mission critical program, will you see financial results in a bad economy? What has been your salary history the past few years? Many of us are worth more but our employers just won't (or can't) pay it. The 3% company-wide pay increase does not work for us. Think about this. Depending on your particular skill, you should gross around $80,000 as an independent consultant.

What about your work life? Be honest, do you like your job? No, not the company, but the job? Is the work interesting, challenging, and personally rewarding? You should be learning new things and making yourself more valuable and marketable. While consulting is not always glamorous, it is not often boring. And you will never stop learning. Many workers need a flexible schedule. When you have to take your pet to the vet, or attend a parent-teacher conference, will your company cut you some slack? Being your own boss (and perhaps working at home) might improve your life. Consulting may be for you.

Having been a consultant for the past 18 years, I have been repeatedly asked by technical people about how to get into the business. Recently, I put it all down on paper, (over 300 pages) for Adams-Blake Publishing. This is not a get-rich-quick scheme. There are no gimmicks. There are no deep dark secrets about becoming a consultant. It all comes down to finding clients and getting contracts. There is a lot you have to know in order to be successful. But there is no magic. You can learn it. If you have a marketable technical skill, you should consider being a consultant. You should order ComputerMoney.

ComputerMoney will tell you just exactly what you will be getting into... what consulting is, and what it is not. ComputerMoney will let you know if you have the qualifications (they're not what you think!) ComputerMoney will show you no-fail marketing tactics we use to find clients. ComputerMoney will teach you sure-fire strategies for closing the high-tech sale. ComputerMoney will show you how to negotiate with so-called bodyshops so that you come out the winner. (Why should they get all the money?) ComputerMoney will instruct you on what you can charge, what you can earn and how you can keep it. ComputerMoney will show you contract terms, tax ideas, pointers, guidelines, do's, don'ts, whys, why-nots.

ComputerMoney is the standard reference for programmers, analysts, technical writers, designers, engineers, project managers, etc., who want their own high paying, independent, technical consulting business. Forget recessions, layoffs, and deadend jobs. You can succeed in the business of high-tech consulting. ComputerMoney shows you how. After 18 years, I know what I am talking about. From getting started to getting paid, I'll give you the inside information you need to turn your technical skills into serious dollars. With sample sales materials as well as advice from many top-earning consultants from around the country, ComputerMoney will take you from wage-slave pay to high-tech high earnings. I'm proud of this work and I believe it is the book you need to be a successful well-paid consultant.

The price of ComputerMoney is $29.95 with an unconditional 1 year money back guarantee.

Order ComputerMoney and give yourself a chance to earn serious dollars. To purchase ComputerMoney: Making Serious Dollars ($80,000+) In High-Tech Consulting : See the link at the top of this page. Tel/Fax (916) 962-9296

ComputerMoney (ISBN 1-883422-01-9) is available in selected bookstores in the US and UK.

SOME MORE INFORMATION ON COMPUTERMONEY

Dear Prospective Reader:

Here is some information on our ComputerMoney book. It has sold over 11,000 copies worldwide last year and continues to be well received. If you have any questions, please e-mail me. BTW, none of the following is copyrighted, so you may share it with a friend or colleague.

Sincerely, Jennifer Church, Director of Media Relations, Adams-Blake Publishing abpub@ns.net

=============== BOOK CONCEPT ===============

ComputerMoney: Making Serious Dollars In High-Tech Consulting, by Alan N. Canton ISBN 1-883422-01-9, 1994, Adams-Blake Publishing, 320pp.

ComputerMoney was written to serve as a reference for anyone who has a technically marketable skill (programming, engineering, graphics, etc.) and who wants to start their own consulting business or increase earnings in their present practice. The author lays out 16 years of experience in 320 pages (107,000 words), covering such topics as finding clients, face to face sales, contracts, rates, brokers and agents, growing the business, taxes, troubleshooting, and life in the consultant lane.

ComputerMoney costs $29.95 plus $5.00 shipping ($33.95, 36.25 in CA.) Shipping to Canada is $5.00. Shipping to Europe is $12. Pacific Rim is $15. Intl. orders should be faxed with VISA/MasterCard or Amex and expire date. Books are sent Priority Mail.

The book has a one year guarantee: it may be returned for any reason for a refund if purchased from publisher.

ComputerMoney is available from larger bookstores or by Visa/MC/AMEX at the link above

Checks with shipping and tax (if applicable) can be sent to:

Adams-Blake Publishing 8041 Sierra Street Fair Oaks, CA 95628 916-962-9296 (Tel/Fax)

=============== BOOK REVIEW ===============

BOOK REVIEW OF COMPUTERMONEY:

The techies are putting on suits. With the upturn in the economy, huge numbers of highly trained technical people such as computer programmers, engineers, analysts, graphic designers, technical writers, and other high-tech workers are kicking the corporate habit and starting out in their own businesses: Consulting.

ComputerMoney: Making Serious Dollars ($80,000+) In High-Tech Consulting, by Alan Canton goes far beyond the usual how-to-start-a-business book. Mr. Canton address the entire spectrum of the technical consulting industry from just what it is (and what it is not) to the nuts and bolts of finding clients, signing contracts, and getting paid. The work is full of inside information gathered by the author from speaking to hundreds of consultants around the country.

The most insightful chapter is on "body shops" or agents that place technical people in short term assignments. Canton has harsh criticism for most of them, and prescribes just how the beginning consultant should deal with them should one want to.

Yet his entire premise is that technical people don't need agents. He contends that by learning how to market and sell, most technically skilled people can become well-paid consultants. He makes a good case and says that most consultants average 1700 hours in assignments a year at $50 an hour. The book is a veritable gold mine of tips and information on making it as an independent.

Canton, who has fifteen years of consulting experience, has probably written the standard reference for programmers, analysts, technical writers, designers, engineers, and other technically skilled people who want their own independent technical consulting business.

ComputerMoney is full of wit and humorous anecdotes about the consulting business. The 320 page book is fun to read and should be around for many years.

=============== PRESS RELEASE ===============

SELLING THE HIRED-GUN CONSULTING SERVICE: TOPIC OF NEW BOOK

"The days when a technically skilled person could print up some 'Have Gun, Will Travel ' business cards, send out a few letters and land a consultaning contract are gone." says Alan Canton, a consultant with 15 years of experience.

Canton, who has authored a recent book on consulting titled ComputerMoney: Making Serious Dollars ($80,000+) In High-Tech Consulting (ISBN 1-883422-1-9, $29.95, 320 pp., Adams-Blake Publishing, 1-800-368-ADAM) sees a permanent change in US industry. There are a lot of hired-guns out there.

Job-security has disappeared and with it has gone company loyalty. "If you want loyalty, get a dog, not a job!" he says. He believes that many workers, especially those with so-called high-tech skills, are entering the consulting business as a permanent substitute for full-time employment. "The two big qualifications are to have a specialized knowledge or technical skill and be able to "do" that skill via a computer," says the author.

"Programmers, engineers, graphic designers, analysts, technical /advertising writers, and project managers are all good candidates for starting their own independent consulting business," says Canton. "And it is a good thing since thousands are being laid off each day. " However, being good candidates and succeeding in the business are two entirely different matters.

Canton who does computer consulting believes that knowing how to market and sell is actually more important than technical skills. The 48 year old consultant says that "technical people need to understand that there is a big difference between a job interview and selling a high-tech service." The 320 page book details the marketing steps technical people need to follow in order to find clients, as well as the typical sales presentation that a technician can use.

"Because so many technical people have so little business expereince I spend a great deal of time explaining different closing techniques as well as trying to teach some advanced salesmanship lessons." Canton spoke with consultants from around the country and found the most successfull in the business understand the subtilities of marketing thier services. "It's not like selling a computer or a piece of software. The client already knows he needs your skills. You have to make him want you," says Canton.

Mr. Canton is quick to point out that consulting is not a get-rich-quick scheme. There is hard work to be done and lots of concepts to be learned. But the results are definitely worth it. With rates between $40 - $75 an hour, national research shows that $80,000 a year is a rough average, with many technical consultants making well into six figures. Most independent consultants average 1700 hours of work a year at a rate of $50 an hour.

"It is not easy, but it is very do-able for certain people," says Mr. Canton.

=============== PRESS RELEASE ===============

COMPANIES ENCOURAGE EX-WORKERS TO BE "HIRED-GUNS"

"Maybe we will all become Clint Eastwood characters. We will have no steady jobs and become a nation of temporarily employed "hired-guns." says Alan Canton, a consultant with 15 years of experience of being a programming and software hired-gun.

Canton, who has published a recent book on consulting titled ComputerMoney: Making Serious Dollars ($80,000+) In High-Tech Consulting (ISBN 1-883422-1-9, $29.95, 320 pp., Adams-Blake Publishing,1-800-368-ADAM) sees the recession as making a permanent change in the job structure of the country.

Job-security has disappeared and with it has gone company loyalty. "If you want loyalty, get a dog, not a job!" he says. He believes that many workers, especially those with high-tech skills, should consider the consulting business as a permanent substitute for full-time employment.

"Programmers, engineers, graphic designers, analysts, technical /advertising writers, and project managers are all good candidates for starting their own independent consulting business," says Canton. "And it is a good thing since thousands are being laid off each day. " Any technical worker who thinks their job is safe is in a process of denial, the author believes. Employers have learned how project-oriented these jobs are and that it is easier and cheaper to hire talent by the pound than for life. Thus, firms are downsizing their technical staffs yet they continue to bring on hired-gun consultants for temporary assignments.

Companies that are laying off their technical people are turning to people like Canton who can help counsel these workers into starting their own businesses. "Most firms are not cold and cruel. They want their ex-workers to land on their feet and find an avenues where skills can be used. If you can't employ a good person or find them work somewhere else, why not help them start their own business?" says the author.

Many personnel departments as well as out-placement services recommend that their "surplus" people take a look at ComputerMoney to help determine if independent consulting would be a viable alternative to full-time employment. If it is, following the steps in the book can lead to a rewarding business.

"The two big qualifications are to have a specialized knowledge or technical skill and be able to "do" that skill via a computer," says the author. "All the rest can be learned from the book." Mr. Canton is quick to point out that consulting is not a get-rich-quick scheme. There is hard work to be done and lots of concepts to be learned. But the results are definitely worth it. With rates between $40 - $75 an hour, national research shows that $80,000 a year is a rough average, with many technical consultants making well into six figures. Most independent consultants average 1700 hours of work a year at a rate of $50 an hour.

"It is not easy, but it is very do-able for certain people," says Mr. Canton.

=============== PRESS RELEASE ===============

LAID OFF HIGH-TECH WORKERS BECOME "HIRED-GUNS"

Conventional wisdom of the 70's and 80's said that if you went to school and "learned something useful" such as engineering or computer science, you would be "termination proof." That was then. Along with middle management and shop floor people, high-tech workers are seeing their share of pink slips. But many are turning a bad situation into an opportunity by entering the "have gun, will travel" world of independent consulting.

"People who have technical training or computer literacy can easily migrate into their own consulting business," instructs Alan Canton, author of a new book ComputerMoney: Making Serious Dollars ($80,000+) In High-Tech Consulting ($29.95, 320 pp., Adams-Blake Publishing, 1-800-368-ADAM). Mr. Canton is not talking about rocket scientists, but ordinary engineers, programmers, project managers, graphic designers, and analysts. "The two big qualifications are to have a specialized knowledge or technical skill and be able to "do" that skill via a computer," says the author. "All the rest can be learned."

A consultant for the past 15 years, Mr. Canton started out with EDS as a programmer. "I got tired of making Ross Perot richer, so on a lark I quit, printed up some business cards, and called myself a programmer-consultant." Over the years he has done programming for IBM, several CA state agencies, and many healthcare firms.

The 45 year old consultant says that marketing is the hard part, but it can be "solved" like any engineering or programming problem. "Technical people need to understand that there is a big difference between a job interview and selling a high-tech service." The 320 page book details the marketing steps technical people need to follow in order to find clients, as well as the typical sales presentation that a technician can use.

Mr. Canton is quick to point out that consulting is not a get-rich-quick scheme. There is hard work to be done and lots of concepts to be learned. But the results are definitely worth it. With rates between $40 - $75 an hour, national research shows that $80,000 a year is a rough average, with many technical consultants making well into six figures. Most independent consultants average 1700 hours of work a year at a rate of $50 an hour.

"Consulting is not for everyone," says Canton. "You have to be able to manage risk and you have to be a goal setter. But most technical people are problem-solvers and can learn the ropes quickly. It is very do-able."

The demand is there. Most companies have from 400 to 800 hours of back-logged work. While firms won't hire full-timers to do this added programming, engineering, analysis or design work, they will take on "hired-guns" for temporary assignments. "Just look at all the technical body-shops out there,"says Canton.

Body-shops or agencies, place people in short term consulting assignments for a percentage of the billing. Canton has some sharp criticism of agencies. "Many of them are greedy and want the whole pie," says the author. His book warns that unless the technician learns how to negotiate, the agent can end up making most of the money. "Consultants can easily learn to market themselves and not give up a large part of the billing