[tptacek]

If you think that you're going to be 100% utilized, you are saying that not only do you have no uncertainty as to where your next engagement is going to be, but also that your clients have no uncertainty as to their schedules, and none of their engagements are every going to slip, change scope, or get cancelled.

[mtrimpe]

We might be having an issue with the definition of the word consultant here or the Dutch market might just be different.

My contracts generally always come in 3 month stretches. In case I haven't received a signed 3-month extension 1 month before the end of a contract I would start looking for my next engagement.

I also make sure I always take calls from recruiters and let them know when my current contract is up for renewal, so that every three months all recruiters I know will call me asking if I'm already available.

I generally also have a decent number of ex-colleagues already lined up which would be interested in hiring me if I were to become available again.

Now of course I don't get 100% utilization, but in practice my holidays and illnesses have had a much bigger impact on that than availability of engagements has.

[tptacek]

A 3 month contract is a huge engagement for us (but then, our bill rates are much higher than the one mentioned in this thread). So, yes, I think we're talking about two different concepts of contracting/consulting/freelancing. You're doing staff augmentation, we're doing consulting/freelancing.

We probably both agree that freelancing is a way to make more money than you would on a steady salaried job. But it also comes with markedly increased risk, which is why it pays more.

[mtrimpe]

I was expecting you to tell me to raise my rates, since after reading my comment it seemed that what I was describing is what you'd expect to happen to an underpriced commodity with limited availability.

I agree with seeing freelancing as a way to avoid paying a third party for doing sales (marketing & negotiation) and finances (bookkeeping & buffering) for you. In many cases and for many people it's also better to outsource those tasks to your employer.

P.S. Do you think you would have trouble staying 100% utilized if you were charging $100/hr as originally mentioned?

[StavrosK]

Probably not, but since they bill "much higher" than that and get 80% utilization, they would probably be leaving loads of money on the table. I'd see 300% utilization for $10/hr as well.