Hello everyone, I’ve been starting up a computer research laboratory and have been struggling to get enterprise clients for custom dev services or contract work. I’ve tried cold emailing, calling, and LinkedIn but haven’t had any luck. Are there any specific communities or networks where large companies look for people to do this kind of work?
I’m responsible for appointing contractors for all types of work, including this.
I hire people I know or, if it’s a new area for me, based on recommendations from colleagues or my network. Only if I don’t know anyone and don’t get suitable recommendations do I look at the market and ask for quotes. People do business with people, not companies. I have used the same external IT team in my last 3 roles. I know that makes it difficult, but best bet is to build on existing relationships and forge new connections
This aligns with my experience with enterprise contract work. Generally need to have a pre-existing relationship to get a foot in the door. For me this has come from building strong relationships with other devs at the same company. Some of those devs will move on and go down the management track, the higher up they get, and depending on your relationship, the more likely they would want to bring you in for a specific thing since “I’ve seen RandomDevOpsDude implement this successfully before, why not get him to do it again?” style.