Acknowledgments |
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xi | |
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xiii | |
Introduction |
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1 | (1) |
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The Evolution of Technology Consulting |
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2 | (2) |
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Where Do Successful Computer Consultants Invest Their Time? |
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4 | (2) |
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The Client's Expectations and Marketing Yourself |
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6 | (1) |
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7 | (1) |
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Consultant, Contractor, or Employee? |
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7 | (1) |
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Your Roles and Responsibilities |
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8 | (3) |
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The Practice of Computer and Network Consulting |
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11 | (26) |
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What Is a Computer Consultant? |
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11 | (1) |
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What Keeps Computer and Network Consultants Up at Night? |
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12 | (1) |
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13 | (1) |
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14 | (1) |
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What Does a Computer Consultant Do? |
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14 | (7) |
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What Are the Skills You Will Get to Use? |
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21 | (2) |
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What Are the Most Important Skills You Need? |
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23 | (3) |
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How Much Money Should You Have Set Aside? |
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26 | (1) |
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What Will Your Day Be Like? |
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27 | (1) |
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28 | (1) |
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How Much Do Computer Consultants Earn? |
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29 | (2) |
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Are You Sure You Want to Be a Consultant? |
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31 | (2) |
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33 | (1) |
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Getting Started from Scratch |
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33 | (2) |
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In the End, What Do Clients Want? |
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35 | (2) |
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Finding Your Market and Service Niches |
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37 | (10) |
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37 | (1) |
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38 | (1) |
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When to Take an Interim Assignment |
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39 | (1) |
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39 | (1) |
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The Next Step in Selecting a Niche |
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40 | (2) |
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Some Growth Niches to Watch |
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42 | (5) |
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Setting Up and Structuring Your Practice |
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47 | (28) |
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47 | (2) |
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Boom and Bust---Strategies to Balance Your Time and Projects |
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49 | (4) |
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Should You Grow Your Business? |
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53 | (1) |
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Your Practice Versus Billing---Balancing Your Time |
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54 | (1) |
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When Should You Hire a Consultant? |
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55 | (1) |
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Structuring to Telecommute |
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56 | (2) |
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Financial Aspects of Setting Up Your Practice |
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58 | (1) |
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59 | (14) |
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73 | (2) |
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Incorporating and Protecting Yourself |
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75 | (22) |
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Incorporation, Partnerships, and Related Myths and Misunderstandings |
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75 | (1) |
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76 | (3) |
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79 | (3) |
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Getting Incorporated without an Attorney |
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82 | (9) |
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Contracts and a Few Related Matters |
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91 | (6) |
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Marketing and Selling Your Services |
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97 | (28) |
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What Is Marketing for a Consultant? |
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98 | (2) |
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Getting into New Accounts and Markets |
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100 | (1) |
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Informational Interview Model |
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101 | (5) |
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A Variation on the Informational Interview |
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106 | (1) |
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The Benefit First Model---A Better Way |
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106 | (2) |
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Are You Selling to Their Problem or Your Solution? |
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108 | (1) |
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Finding the Key Results and Benefits |
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109 | (1) |
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110 | (4) |
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Creating an Effective USP in Two Steps |
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114 | (2) |
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116 | (1) |
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116 | (1) |
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117 | (1) |
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118 | (1) |
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119 | (1) |
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Getting Value from People Networks |
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119 | (1) |
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120 | (2) |
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Is There Value to Certifications? |
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122 | (3) |
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125 | (26) |
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Pricing as a Marketing Tool |
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126 | (1) |
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Can Price Put You at Risk? |
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127 | (1) |
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Pricing Software Projects |
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128 | (1) |
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Too Much Work? Look at Your Pricing |
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129 | (3) |
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Using Expectations to Keep Bid Prices Down |
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132 | (1) |
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The High Cost of Working for Free |
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132 | (1) |
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Systematizing Fees---Three Processes |
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133 | (1) |
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Process One---Hours per Year |
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134 | (1) |
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Process Two---Competitive Analysis |
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135 | (4) |
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The Place for a Baker's Dozen |
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139 | (1) |
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What Stops Consultants from Raising Fees? |
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140 | (5) |
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Structuring Fees---By the Hour or Flat Rate? |
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145 | (1) |
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Why Bother with Flat Rate Pricing? |
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145 | (1) |
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146 | (2) |
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148 | (3) |
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The Seven-Step Process for Pricing |
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151 | (20) |
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152 | (1) |
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153 | (1) |
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Could a Result Be Worth More Than the Hours? |
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154 | (17) |
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154 | (1) |
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155 | (3) |
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Surveying the Stakeholders |
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158 | (2) |
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160 | (6) |
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166 | (2) |
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168 | (1) |
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169 | (2) |
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Successfully Marketing to the Government |
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171 | (12) |
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171 | (1) |
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What Government Agencies Buy |
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172 | (1) |
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173 | (1) |
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You Can Take Advantage of Exceptions |
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174 | (1) |
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Getting the Contract without Bidding---An Example |
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174 | (1) |
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How to Find Out about Government Needs |
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175 | (1) |
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Sample Sole-Source Bid Request |
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176 | (1) |
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Sample Request for Proposals (RFP) |
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177 | (2) |
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179 | (1) |
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180 | (1) |
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Extending the Meaning of ``the Government'' |
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180 | (3) |
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Contracts, Negotiations, and Brokers |
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183 | (22) |
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184 | (2) |
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186 | (2) |
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188 | (1) |
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The Limitations of Your Contract |
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188 | (1) |
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Special Considerations for Software Contracts |
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189 | (1) |
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190 | (3) |
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193 | (1) |
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194 | (4) |
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198 | (2) |
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200 | (3) |
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Dealing with Broker Defaults |
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203 | (2) |
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Additional Profit Centers |
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205 | (18) |
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Why Additional Profit Centers? |
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205 | (1) |
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The Three Basic Ancillary Services |
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206 | (1) |
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Public Speaking, Seminars, and Training |
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206 | (2) |
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208 | (1) |
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209 | (1) |
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210 | (3) |
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Developing Software---From Hobby to Income |
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213 | (1) |
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Developing Software---Advantages and Cautions |
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214 | (1) |
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215 | (4) |
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Getting Paid for Your Software |
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219 | (1) |
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220 | (1) |
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221 | (1) |
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Additional Profit Centers |
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221 | (2) |
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Some Final Strategic Tips |
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223 | (14) |
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Difficulties in Listening Today |
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223 | (6) |
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Doing Right---Ethical Considerations |
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229 | (7) |
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The Most Important Consideration |
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236 | (1) |
Appendix The Consultant Resource Guide |
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237 | (12) |
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237 | (1) |
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237 | (1) |
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238 | (1) |
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Sites That May Offer Broker Contacts |
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238 | (1) |
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Sites That May Sell Your Software |
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239 | (1) |
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What Keeps the Company President Up at Night? |
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239 | (8) |
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Books to Read for Further Information |
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247 | (1) |
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The Independent Computer Consultants Association Code of Ethics |
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247 | (2) |
Glossary |
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249 | (4) |
Index |
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253 | |