Getting Paid – Tips for the IT Subcontractor

The Context:

Information technology projects usually happen in cyberspace, not with pens and papers. Things move quickly; deliverables have to meet ever shorter timeframes. Competition can be fierce – an IT Contractor with federal government or private industry projects can usually choose from among a number of small IT consultants to work with it as subcontractors.

The Problems:

Getting paid, defining the scope of work, protecting proprietary information or techniques, getting appropriate credit for the final project, and protecting the right to solicit new clients – these are but a few of the problems that IT subcontractors face in the fast-paced marketplace.

The Solutions:

Government contractors who fail to pay vendors and subcontractors may be liable under federal law; they may also lose the ability to bid on future contracts. But the subcontractors’ chance of getting paid – or bidding on future projects for that matter – can decrease dramatically once a collection action starts.

Prevention – anticipating problems and protecting against them from the start – is the best way to avoid conflicts with a contractor so that your consulting business can grow and prosper.

Consult your legal professional before bidding on a project – free your company to do what it does best, knowing that your rights are protected from the start.