Get off sinking ships

A friend of mine works for herself as a 1099 for her previous company (outside of government contracting).

She tried negotiating an increase in her rate for the new contract period but was unsuccessful.

Her client says she submitted the budget in June for the following year and this year she was asked to cut it down.

This is not a good sign for my friend.

It's not that my friend's work is not valuable to her client. She easily outperforms the other team members.

BUT, the fact that there are budget cuts in that department is a serious issue. It likely means that segment of the business is in trouble, either financially or due to internal politics.

I advised my friend to start looking for other gigs while she still has time on this contract.

Similarly, if you are working on a project or for a government organization that seems to be underperforming or seems to be losing their influence on the parent organization, start looking for another project.

There's nothing you can really do to save the client or their organization. You can do the best you can while you're there, but you have to look out for your own interests.

Even if your position is safe for a while, the act of finding other projects may result in something more interesting and lucrative, and most importantly, reduce your personal risk. It's actually best practice to ALWAYS be looking for your next gig for this reason.

Remember, you can't save a sinking ship. Get out while you can.

Want the full playbook? Check out Going 1099.