Grandpa’s Business Model

How to Put Grandpa Ham to Work for You

I have a work calendar that shows my current planned work and other unavailability.  If the calendar is not marked,  I am available.  When available, you can purchase my hours in one of three categories:

  • Telecommute – Obviously your least expensive option. I have high speed internet and can even turn a webcam on if you want to see my activities. I pay for all supplies, utilities, etc.
  • Commute to your location – I can commute to any Northern or Central Virginia location or to any point that is within a few blocks of a DC metro stop. My costs will include consideration of the distance and time consumed getting to your location.
  • Travel to your location – You will pay Economy class air fare, actual hotel cost, and reimbursement for meals at the U. S. Federal daily rate. I do not track individual meal or incidental costs. It is too much paperwork for you and for me. Hourly rates are higher when I am in a travel status, but I do not bill separately for actual travel time, only for hours worked.

Other Factors

I am an independent contractor, not an employee. You buy a block of hours, I work a block of hours. I pay my own taxes. I keep good records. There will be no under the table activity.  I can work on a 1099 basis or, if you prefer,  I can set up billing arrangements through an established back office operations company,  MBO Partners.   MBO Partners is a Virginia Certified Small Business that handles back-office operations for independent consultants as a “Portable Employer of Record.”  They have an experienced team of folks who handle work orders, billing, etc.  If this works better for you than the typical 1099 situation, I will be pleased to use their services.

Negotiation is simple. You call me with a task. Describe it is as much or as little detail as you prefer. I let you know whether I think I can do it and let you know my price per hour.   I seldom do fixed price, but I will provide an estimate of the hours I think will be required or (in the case of something complicated) an estimate of the time needed to build an effective estimate.

You can order a block of hours, but you do not have to pay for an entire engagement up front.  You may order in increments as small as 5 hours, depending on the job.  So, if you do not like my work at the end of an increment, let me go.  You will have a commitment only for the hours actually ordered, even if our initial plan included a longer engagement.

While I do deliver results, I seldom contract for specific “deliverables” in a formal contracting sense. (Of course, I can help you and your team build them for your contracts.) I will however sign non-disclosure agreements and similar documents to ensure that your intellectual property, trade secrets, and other business interests are in no way violated.

Federal Agency Clients

I have partnered with Eye Street Solutions to provide my services to Federal Clients, but can, and do, work with other prime contractors as the occasion warrants.

Grandpa Can Do IT!!

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