WORK IN JAPAN
Computer consulting

Ken CottonKen Cotton is a self-taught computer junkie who has found more work than he can handle as a SOHO (small office/small home) computer consultant focusing on networks and Internet telephony. He is also president of the Tokyo PC Users Group, where he tries to steer people to help themselves for free. He has found, however, that most people just want a quick fix and are willing to pay for it. That doesn't both him, either.

TC: How can someone with technical expertise find clients?
KC: It's not hard at all. Of course, you have to do something that people are willing to pay for. If you are good, word of mouth will be more than sufficient. There are plenty of group meetings where you can meet people and let them know what you do, including Kaisha, FCC, even Toastmasters. I joined the American Chamber of Commerce, which wasn't cheap. An afternoon of phone calls may be all that it takes to get two to three good clients who will keep you busier than you may want to be.

TC: How did you get started as a consultant?
KC: I helped a lot of people get online, set up their ISDN hardware, network their machines, make their computers bilingual, but now I am limiting myself to things related to phone and phone lines.

TC: Who are your clients?
KC: I work directly for individuals, but I'm also a distributor for a local Internet provider. I work for a networking shop in Akihabara called SoftCreate Network Center that is the largest agent for NTT's OCN 24-hour Internet lines. I introduce English-speaking customers, help them with the application and hardware purchases and installation, depending on the complexity of their needs. I also recently became a seller for a company in San Francisco that makes a card for PC-based Internet telephony, just because I thought the product was so great.

TC: How do technical consultants charge for their services?
KC: I started out doing things for beer and pizza five years ago. I still sometimes help someone start something new for free. Basically, a person who's not very specialized or well known could charge 5000 yen an hour with a two or three hour minimum. Unless you specialize in an area where people are willing to pay more, you'll be stuck at this rate and possibly very bored. An hourly charge of 10,000 yen seems to be the minimum for most of my friends; others charge up to 19,000 yen and have more work than they need. These are people who are good at network security or database development.

TC: What are the downsides of freelancing?
KC: No paid vacations, no insurance, no job security, no paid training or membership in professional organizations, no library of books, tapes and software, and no technical support group to help you solve problems you bump into. You also have to think about brochures, contracts, invoices and receipts.

Ken Cotton is happy to be contacted at kc@twics.com