# Let’s merge and be full partners! Oh wait, never mind, you can be my employee. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 14, 2009, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-s-merge-and-be-full-partners-oh-wait-never-mind-you-can-be-my-employee/517598 "2009-11-14T22:52:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Q.N.Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/3da27b/32.png) [@Q.N.Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.N.Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-s-merge-and-be-full-partners-oh-wait-never-mind-you-can-be-my-employee/517598/61 "2010-07-05T21:31:15Z")
> [@NinetyWt](#): > > Thanks y’all. > > Q.N., your post was one of the ones which really helped me see what I needed to do. I appreciate your advice. 🙂 That’s very flattering, and I’m glad to be of help. It’s obvious that you would have figured it out yourself, though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-s-merge-and-be-full-partners-oh-wait-never-mind-you-can-be-my-employee/517598/62 "2010-07-05T21:41:29Z")
I dunno, maybe, but it would have taken longer. I needed a jolt of reality. ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-s-merge-and-be-full-partners-oh-wait-never-mind-you-can-be-my-employee/517598/63 "2010-07-05T22:14:28Z")
I remember this thread… Glad to read your excellent news! ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-s-merge-and-be-full-partners-oh-wait-never-mind-you-can-be-my-employee/517598/64 "2010-07-06T00:51:49Z")
> [@NinetyWt](#): > > As I was reading something else today I remembered this thread and thought I’d post an update. > \ > Thanks for the good eye-opening advice in this thread. Ya’ll made me realize that I was waiting around for something good to happen instead of going out and making it happen. > > 🙂 Congrats! A person with talent and a good head for business will do just fine. You proved that once again! ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-s-merge-and-be-full-partners-oh-wait-never-mind-you-can-be-my-employee/517598/65 "2010-07-06T01:00:29Z")
Good for you! Wishing you continued success! ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-s-merge-and-be-full-partners-oh-wait-never-mind-you-can-be-my-employee/517598/66 "2010-07-06T01:18:48Z")
Good news, glad to hear it. ---
**Author:** ![D.E.S.K.Top668](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@D.E.S.K.Top668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D.E.S.K.Top668)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-s-merge-and-be-full-partners-oh-wait-never-mind-you-can-be-my-employee/517598/67 "2010-07-06T12:44:22Z")
So, if you don’t mind, what’s your current business relationship with “Moe?” ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-s-merge-and-be-full-partners-oh-wait-never-mind-you-can-be-my-employee/517598/68 "2010-07-06T13:29:16Z")
I stop by and see them about once a week; I’m friendly and professional with him. I think I’ve done about 3 projects for him so far this year. He has paid his invoices promptly. So all in all, we’re on good terms. I was going to take him to lunch one day last week but he was out when I went by there. The best thing I probably did was to sign a professional services agreement with him - it’s kind of like an “umbrella” agreement. This way, if he identifies a project he’d like my help on, I write a scope of work for just that individual project and we both sign a letter agreeing to the scope of work. All of the particulars of my company working for his company are spelled out in the umbrella agreement. I used a template document from ACEC with input from my insurance people and my attorney buddy. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-s-merge-and-be-full-partners-oh-wait-never-mind-you-can-be-my-employee/517598/69 "2010-07-06T14:51:08Z")
> [@NinetyWt](#): > > The best thing I probably did was to sign a professional services agreement with him - it’s kind of like an “umbrella” agreement. This way, if he identifies a project he’d like my help on, I write a scope of work for just that individual project and we both sign a letter agreeing to the scope of work. All of the particulars of my company working for his company are spelled out in the umbrella agreement. That’s the kind of arrangement I have with my favorite agent, and it’s one of the reasons he’s my favorite agent. Any time he sends work my way, 99% of the negotiations are already taken care of. Add me to the list of people happy to hear you’re doing well, **NinetyWt** 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![supergoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@supergoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supergoose)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-s-merge-and-be-full-partners-oh-wait-never-mind-you-can-be-my-employee/517598/70 "2010-07-06T14:51:33Z")
That’s fantastic! I’m so glad you’ve had such a great outcome from all this. I also think it was quite brave of you to abandon the crutch and that you’re awesome. That about covers it. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-s-merge-and-be-full-partners-oh-wait-never-mind-you-can-be-my-employee/517598/71 "2010-07-06T15:34:16Z")
How’s the other subcontractor? Did he get hired by Moe? ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-s-merge-and-be-full-partners-oh-wait-never-mind-you-can-be-my-employee/517598/72 "2010-07-06T15:48:56Z")
He did. He decided that he didn’t especially enjoy having to figure self-employment taxes, and that it would be easier to be an employee. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-s-merge-and-be-full-partners-oh-wait-never-mind-you-can-be-my-employee/517598/73 "2010-07-06T15:51:09Z")
> [@supergoose](#): > > I also think it was quite brave of you to abandon the crutch and that you’re awesome. That about covers it. Thank you. I wish I had done it earlier, but c’est la vie. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-s-merge-and-be-full-partners-oh-wait-never-mind-you-can-be-my-employee/517598.md?page=3)