> > Speaking of finding customers, has anyone had any luck with
> > using on-line technical forums as a source of customers? I'm
> > thinking of starting RF design consulting, and was wondering
> > if participation in some of these forum's would help attract
> > customers. Something simple, like a home page url in my
> > signature is what I'm thinking of.
> > I know lots of folks on the PicList consult, and I was hoping
> > to get their opinion.
> >
> > Thanks

^^^^^^^^ well, somehow I lost that post ^^^^^^^^

I've gotten 5 in just a year or so. 1 RF, 1 analog, 1 PIC, 1 mixed that's on hold for
more funding, and 1 software. Then there's another one WITH funding but the guy's
dragging his feet.

One guy found me by lurking and e-mailing me directly. 4 others by me responding to
requests for free-lancers, and the (very small) software job came up out of the blue
when I mentioned ActiveX in an EE or CAD discussion. I'm doing that as a favor in
return for a license key to that guy's product, which he already gave me for maybe 30
seconds worth of work. I may never even use his app, but what the hell.

No ads, web addresses, nothing. As soon as I'm geared up a little better lab-wise I
might actually try to find work. Find someone I can trust to help run the biz I've been
in for 12 yrs.

Good Luck - if you're the guy who said something about hoping skill would figure in, I
can point you to someone who will give you a dissertation on the fact that skill won't
get you squat without luck. Spehro (hi!) knows who I mean if his memory's as good
as I suspect. Hey, look at how many incompetent managers and politicians there are.
Skill? Luck?

Tell me about your RF experience. Email me off-list if you want. mike dot ford at
earthlink dot net dot invalid <== talk about paranoid... dot invalid... never know how
smart a spam bot's punk-ass coder is.

>
> I've picked up a few customers this way because they were reading the
> discussions in order to find someone to help them. More importantly I've
> learned much by both participation in and reading the discussions.

^^^^^ last sentence - muy importante ^^^^

I went ahead and bid on a job while others in the group blabbed on about specs and
crap and considerations and possible solutions. I even picked up a hint on what to
charge! I guess they just wanted to talk :-) In fact, they were talking as if the OP
wasn't even there. I took it all in while I was querying the potential customer, shot him
a price, and got the job.

One customer got no group response at all and rejected all email responses but
mine because other respondents appeared to be mining ideas.

BRs,
Mike

>
> Tom Deutschman
>
> Wizbang Designs, Inc.
> 1629 W 8TH AVE
> Spokane, WA  99204
>
> Phone: (509) 251-4814
> www.wizbangdesigns.com  :-)
>
> --
> http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic:
> [PIC]:,[SX]:,[AVR]: ->uP ONLY! [EE]:,[OT]: ->Other [BUY]:,[AD]: ->Ads

--
http://www.piclist.com hint: The list server can filter out subtopics
(like ads or off topics) for you. See http://www.piclist.com/#topics