[airspirit]

I've decided it is probably time to cut the strings from the companies I'm working for and become an independent contractor. I'd be providing the following services to 3-4 retail stores:

Web site construction/hosting/maint.
Network management/maint.
Computer construction/repair/configuration
Database design/maint/backup/recovery
Custom business programming

I'm going to try to charge in the neighborhood of around $850-900 per month (plus any necessary part costs and whatnot if I'm doing repairs or network installs) for those basic services (much of which can be done from home) while remaining on call for emergency services. I figure I could do pretty well with this, and if I don't have enough business (dropped contract, in between contracts, etc) I would just get a part time job for the evenings or something.

What are your guys' impressions of this kind of work? I'm tired of not being able to choose the hours I devote to each task at the two primary places I'm maintaining now, not to mention the assorted BS that gets piled on my duties when I have downtime that I'm not really getting paid to do. Is this a good idea in your opinion, or am I setting myself up to get screwed? I currently am pulling about $2500 a month home now and I realize I'll probably be doing the same if I do this, but I really am looking for a bit more flexability in my work along with an emphasis on what I'm supposed to be doing rather than the other crap that is just getting piled on my shoulders. In the end my hours will be a bit less, and I think it would be more enjoyable. Do you guys have any ideas or recommendations?