Founder/owner recruiters

If you're getting calls from recruiters, they are likely professional recruiters working either for the company or as a third party.

However, on occasion you might get a call from a recruiter who is actually the owner or founder of a small government contracting business.

I've found these folks more fun and useful to talk to.

Of course, they have the usual incentive to hire someone and make a profit off of them, but I have also found they're willing to share more information and be more open to helping.

For example, recently I was on a call with a founder and I mentioned that I'd only go 1099 and I actually have my own small business.

He was disappointed but we got to chatting and he thought my company would be a good fit to partner with on other contracts.

He later introduced me to a big prime he had a relationship with and now we're potentially exploring a teaming agreement for a future contract bid.

If you're looking for a 1099 gig, a founder may be willing to do the same for you and make relevant introductions. They might also be willing to do a 2nd tier sub-contracting gig with you if that's feasible.

These founder types generally think bigger picture and won't just shut you down if you're not looking to be a W2 employee.

So take the call, be friendly, offer your help, and tell them what you're looking to do.

You never know what kind of lucky opportunities that may bring down the line.

Want the full playbook? Check out Going 1099.