What follows is a general FAQ containing oft-asked questions about my firm, the services I provide, etc. Please email me if you have any additional questions.
What services does Coreworks offer?
Coreworks offers the following services:
Standard Forms. This is the crux of my business and the primary service I offer. I've worked with dozens of standard form types (most of which are listed on my résumé) and can create standard forms from scratch (I've also created forms for several Louisiana municipalities) or from your sample document. Note that free-form responses are not considered Standard Form responses and thus not handled by Coreworks.
Covers. Straightforward covers (front & back, and non-tabbed section dividers) for submittals, including SOQs, Reports, and anything that needs more than a simple text cover.
Résumé Preparation. I can prepare résumés from scratch or varied source documents, and help your company determine a standard style. I have also prepared hundreds of "hire me" résumés for individuals since the 1980s.
Letter Writing. Usually in concert with Standard Forms preparation, I can help with cover letters for such documents.
RFQ Research. I review dozens of websites and print journals daily, looking for RFQs (request for qualifications) of interest to my clients, and publish them on my password-protected Research Site.
Editing. This includes general editing and readability reviews of letters, resumes, and similar documents. Time constraints often limit availability for this service; please contact me to discuss.
Disc Printing. I can do small run (a single disc to several dozen) inkjet print CD and DVD for your firm, either for specific projects or general company blanks. Time-frame restrictions apply. Email me for details.
What services does Coreworks not offer?
Coreworks does not offer the following services, though I may have colleagues who do offer such services. Contact me for more information.
Bid Tracking & Response. I do not track bids of any type, nor do I prepare responses to bids. I can help prepare additional information that may be requested via a bid.
Proposal Response. A Request for Proposal (RFP) is different than a Request for Qualifications (RFQ), though many advertisements seem to blur this distinction by noting a request for proposals as a request for qualifications or vice versa. If you're unsure as to how to respond to an advertisement, contact me with the advertisement and I'll let you know what they're requesting.
Free-Form SOQ Response. These types of submittals -- that is, non-standard form submittals -- are best handled in-house by you and your staff, as layouts, writing, and preparation will vary greatly, and usually up to the response time.
Technical Writing. Though it may seem like the same thing, there's a huge difference between preparing standard forms and technical writing. I am not an engineer and do not have the training or qualifications to do technical writing. I'm more of an editor than a writer in terms of submittals.
Grant Writing. I do not offer grant writing services, though I do have a colleague who has experience in this area. Please contact me for information.
Cost Proposals. Much like a RFP, a Cost Proposal is best left to your company's financial personnel.
Web Site Design. I do not provide web site design; I do, however, have colleagues who provide this service; please contact me for more information.
Printing Services. Due to my location, I do not provide document printing services (I can provide short-run disc printings; see above).
What are Coreworks' service fees?
Please contact me for more information on fee structure. I offer several retainer tiers in tandem with an hourly rate.
Standard Form Services; Standard Forms work & associated document services are also available at a general rate. Initial costs for set-up for a standard form under this tier may be elevated but, after the initial set-up, follow-up preparation costs are usually much lower.
Marketing Research Retainer (monthly); I search the web and various print sources daily for new RFQs of interest. I publish these to a password-protected Research Site that is available only to clients. Even if your firm has a marketing division, I can help by notifying you of RFQs they may miss.
Research + Review Retainer (monthly); this includes all the above plus review of your prepared SOQs, letters, etc. Clients who use Coreworks via this retainer typically already have a person (or persons) on staff who prepare their SOQs but may want additional review assistance (as well as the marketing research).
Full Service Retainer (monthly); all services above, plus preparation of Standard Form SOQs and associated materials (covers, cover letter editing, etc.).
How long do you keep my SOQs on file?
Submittals are kept on file for about 5 calendar years. Project Databases, if you choose to utilize my services in that regard, are kept indefinitely.
When is Coreworks open?
Coreworks typically operates from 9 AM through 5 PM, Monday through Friday, with the exception of noted holidays and notified off days. Services are not available on weekends or evenings, though I will do my best to accommodate your needs and timeframe.
To whom does Coreworks provide services?
Coreworks provides its services primarily to civil & environmental engineering firms, architectural firms, and specialty firms (laboratory, soils testing, surveying, etc.) – any firm that uses standard forms. A partial list of the entities I've worked for over the years can be found on my Clients page.
Does Coreworks keep work confidential?
Yes, no worries there – what I'm working on for your firm is known to you and you alone. I only share information when specifically asked to do so.
Can I get the form in Microsoft Word?
No, I do not use Microsoft Word, or any Microsoft products, in the creation of Standard Forms (as noted elsewhere). I use Adobe InDesign, a professional page layout program, to create the forms, and Adobe Acrobat Professional to generate a finalized PDF for your use. I do have the full Microsoft for Macintosh Suite should you have source materials in those programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) that you need Coreworks to utilize.
What software/hardware does Coreworks use?
All services are done on an Apple MacBook Pro running the latest commercially-available (i.e., no beta software) version of Mac OS X (10.7). Work is executed using a mixture of Adobe InDesign, Filemaker Pro 11, and Adobe Acrobat Professional, among others (Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Microsoft Word, etc.). Note again that I do not provide Standard Form preparation services in Microsoft Word.
Data is backed up throughout the day on an hourly basis via OS X Leopard's Time Machine to an onsite drive from Other World Computing. This backup is primarily to guard against technology failure. Further, my Mac is cloned at least once daily using ShirtPocket's SuperDuper! software to drives from Other World Computing. Drives are rotated off-site at least once a week to guard against loss of data to catastrophe or theft.
I have access to additional Macs on-site should my primary machine fail; I can boot from the on-site backup and be back up in running in about 10 minutes.
What does "closed" mean?
I need some work done but it says you're closed. What does that mean?
It means I'm not working. I'll note closed dates as far in advance as possible on the main page of the site. Check often and plan ahead. Those who have worked with me know that I will do everything possible (and then some) to make sure you get what you need.
Can I still email or fax you?
Certainly; both email and fax are 24/7/365. However, if I'm away from my office, I won't see the fax until my return. I'd recommend scan & email instead; if you have a modern copier or all-in-one, it probably does this, if not, I recommend the Fujitsu ScanSnap line.
But I need my work done immediately! End your vacation/holiday/doctor visit/activity with your family right now and get back to work!
No.
I will, however, do my best to accommodate your needs, so email me anyway. My best recommendation would be to take a recent similar-format (255, 24-102, etc.) PDF and mark that up as if it was our larval draft and scan/email it to me (remember, I won't be reachable via fax). When I'm able to work on it, be assured I will.