software contractor here who occasionally hires other contractors:
IMO the key to contracting is breaking up everything into very small milestones and releasing payment on completion of the the milestone. Start with a very small part of a project and set aside a few hundred dollars. The milestone should be due in 2 - 5 days with some penalty or even no payment for being late. Pay immediately if possible and have the contract go to the next larger milestone for more money. It's best if the first milestone doesn't require wading though much old code. If the contractor can't complete the small milestone on time, they won't be able to do the bigger milestones. Let them know this ahead of time. If possible, only sign the contract for the first milestone. Break up a big opaque risk into a series of very small, closely monitored risks.
1. could be that your SW is too bad or complex but not enough info. One thing with references is that being a good contractor is very different than being a good programmer. Scheduling and client communication/management are actually
the hardest part of working as a contractor. It could be as simple as the contractor being talented but not working hard enough or procrastinating on the project.
2. If I had to guess he's probably not on vacation. He's probably working on another project with a client that either pays better or he has a longer/better relationship with. This happens all the time. As a contractor, there have been days where I've gotten 10 proposal for
doing work. If you're not careful with scheduling it's very easy to take on too much work. Again breaking things up into very small milestones with clear due dates can save this. Make sure you do your part and pay the contractor immediately.Your project will become the "emergency"
job that he pushes others aside to complete since the path forward is clear and he knows he'll get the money right away. If it's on elance or odesk let them know you'll have to give them a bad review if they can't fix it. Don't give them a bad review on your personal blog as it will make good devs nervous about working with you. Clients who have had problems with contractors in the past are likely to have them in the future as well.
3. You're looking in the wrong places or you're not paying enough or you're scheduling the job incorrectly. I have some reliable contractors I can recommend if you ping me [email protected]
You have part of the solution already. If you know sales well and are good, you have a valuable skill that you can barter with an independent programmer for instructions. Heck you could even end up making some money together. FYI, I'm in Seattle and would barter instruction for some sales help! PM me nm1161 (at) gmail if you're interested
IMO the key to contracting is breaking up everything into very small milestones and releasing payment on completion of the the milestone. Start with a very small part of a project and set aside a few hundred dollars. The milestone should be due in 2 - 5 days with some penalty or even no payment for being late. Pay immediately if possible and have the contract go to the next larger milestone for more money. It's best if the first milestone doesn't require wading though much old code. If the contractor can't complete the small milestone on time, they won't be able to do the bigger milestones. Let them know this ahead of time. If possible, only sign the contract for the first milestone. Break up a big opaque risk into a series of very small, closely monitored risks.
1. could be that your SW is too bad or complex but not enough info. One thing with references is that being a good contractor is very different than being a good programmer. Scheduling and client communication/management are actually the hardest part of working as a contractor. It could be as simple as the contractor being talented but not working hard enough or procrastinating on the project.
2. If I had to guess he's probably not on vacation. He's probably working on another project with a client that either pays better or he has a longer/better relationship with. This happens all the time. As a contractor, there have been days where I've gotten 10 proposal for doing work. If you're not careful with scheduling it's very easy to take on too much work. Again breaking things up into very small milestones with clear due dates can save this. Make sure you do your part and pay the contractor immediately.Your project will become the "emergency" job that he pushes others aside to complete since the path forward is clear and he knows he'll get the money right away. If it's on elance or odesk let them know you'll have to give them a bad review if they can't fix it. Don't give them a bad review on your personal blog as it will make good devs nervous about working with you. Clients who have had problems with contractors in the past are likely to have them in the future as well.
3. You're looking in the wrong places or you're not paying enough or you're scheduling the job incorrectly. I have some reliable contractors I can recommend if you ping me [email protected]