From a contractor to a shop: How to make the leap

This panel will be hosted by a number of business leaders at Drupal companies, and will at the some of the challenges of becoming a "Drupal shop." We will examine some of the issues we've faced as we've grown, and explore how we've dealt with them, such as:

• The difference in sales cycles and RFPs/proposals between small and large projects
• Managing groups of developers
• Juggling more and longer term engagements
• Balancing client work with business development
• Defining the "type" of Drupal/web shop you are, and how to choose partners and/or employees
• Basic business roadblocks that new companies face, such as cash flow, taxes, payroll, etc

The panel will start with several short presentations, followed by questions from audience members who are currently freelancers, contractors and one-person shops who want to expand, grow, and explode! If you're currently thinking about making the switch, this panel will be an excellent forum where you can hear from and ask questions of professionals who have made the leap and landed happily on the other side.

We also anticipate a subsequent Bird-of-a-Feather session to further the conversation and to broaden the number of questions and perspectives given on this topic

If you have any questions you'd like to ask the panel, please feel free to add them below as comments.