Let me tell you how things work for me, here in Argentina.

>>1.  How do you deal with health insurance?  Just pay a lot? =20
>>Have a spouse with another job where insurance is available?

        I pay, too much may be, but that=92s the way for me...

>>2.  Is roller-coaster pay a problem for you?  Boom and bust business?

        Sometimes yes. Specially this days, I have an enormous amount of
bills, and I'm getting a little desperate...:S

>>3.  How about long hours or travel?  Does that stress out your family?

        I try to keep the job in-house, only travel to take my customers
his product done, one or twice for each project.

>>4.  How do you go about capitalizing the business?  pay as=20
>>you go, loans, a combo?
=09
        PAY AS YOU GO

>>5.  What specifically does a consultant need to have around=20
>>besides a computer, a scope, some hand tools, a compiler, an=20
>>Eprom burner and an ICE?

        I think that that's prety much that what I have. Unfortunatly, I
have to work with a 5Mhz old valvular scope and a Picstart plus.
No ICE, just bootloader, trying to get and ICD...

>>6.  Do you have a standard contract?
=09
        No, like someone said, I just write a very detailed spec, that=92s
the best around here, like the UK'er said before.

>>7. Do you have a home office or a remote office?  Does the=20
>>remote office allow you to leave the job behind?

        home office, best, when you just had it from one "no way" code,
you can take a nap and continue on the night...


>>8.  How many hours a week do you spend working - 50?  70?
=09
        50 - 60 (its too much ah?) well, I guess I can do it for a while
more, since im still joung (just 23 yo)


>>9. How do you advertize your business - word of mouth?  Long=20
>>term customers?  Bingo cards?  Ads in Circuit Cellar?  Spam=20
>>to alt.suckers.news?  ;-)

        no need of advertising, well actually, no positive results. I
work with microchip consultand list and word of mouth

>>10. Without divulging salary per se, do you feel you make=20
>>more or less money as a consultant or as an employee?  Per=20
>>year?  Per Hour?

        Well, very tight here in my country. I'm trying to get some
overseas jobs, in order to take advantage of the currency conversion, I
mean, in previous messages, I can see that a job I can bill 1500 U$S can
cost (in the us) 3000 U$S and I need about U$S 500 to live (monthly) so
its relatibly good money.
        Unfortunatly, thing are not going very good with economy around
here, so I having now a thigh budget, but I'm shure it will go away soon
(hope!!)

Best regards

Mauricio

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