You may find that a client asks to remove some of this so-called control from you. Sometimes that's a good thing. If such a thing happens, you still have to ensure that your section of the larger project is clearly covered by the 'rules' listed above. The end result will be a long list of clients who keep coming back to you because they know that you know how to deliver on time, close to budget. The more often you successfully deal with repeat clients, the more control you'll gain over the projects they bring to you.
Life can be good.
All of the foregoing can be applied to virtually any client relationship. Don't kid yourself either, because everyone from real estate agents, day care owners, and SOHO-based craft workers, to professional consultants and contractors find themselves working as part of a widely dispersed team most of the time. Isolating yourself by thinking that you really are totally independent can be a deeply costly error. An effective project strategy will provide you with the power you need to create and control a profitable, positive outcome. Howard Carson is the General Manager of Development at MGI Software in Richmond Hill, Canada.