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Advantages of Working with Consultants

Using a consultant ( also called an independent contractor ) is done often and has many benefits. These benefits fall into 2 categories: financial and organizational.

Financial

While the cost of an independent contractor may appear high from an hourly standpoint, the long term effect to your company can be substantially lower. Remember, the contractor in most cases is not employed throughout the year and so must adjust his/her rates to bring in an appropiate yearly income. For the same reason, you can choose to only use the contractor for the time you need. Without any legal implications, when a project is over the relationship with the contractor may end. Alternately, you may extend the existing contract to guarantee the availability of the contractor or perhaps, you may have another project on which to work. You can see the flexibility in this type of relationship and this leads to the next benefit.

Organizational

The relationship between an independent contractor and a company can have many types of conditions and agreements. This leads to the best outcome for your company. Foremost among these is the quick response to an immediate manpower need. While projects are being defined, it may be difficult to keep a staff of employees busy. A consultant can be brought in for any stage of a project ( from the definition to writing the manual ) and used only when a task is defined. Many companies are focused on manufacturing and do not want nor can they support a permanent development team.

Not a Job Shopper

An independent contractor is not the same as a Job Shopper. By going through an agency, you can get a full time worker for the duration of a project. The agency gets a cut of the wage paid to the worker. Sometimes a large cut. When the project is done, that worker is sent to another company as a full time worker. Experience demonstrates that product refinements and bugs will always be encountered. The agency developer may not be available for short duration modifications. A consultant, by the nature of the title, must make the decisions for working hours since he/she is in business. The consultant may need to break away and modify a project for another client. This is exactly what may be needed in your future so be tolerant.