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Ticking Clock = Billable Hours (was: Another day in the Life of an Independent Contractor...)
Subject:Ticking Clock = Billable Hours (was: Another day in the Life of an Independent Contractor...) From:Steven Oppenheimer <writer -at- writemaster -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Sat, 07 Dec 2002 11:11:53 -0800
You've got the wrong approach my friend. Contractors -- all of us -- need
to think like lawyers. Everything, and I mean everything after the initial
meetings and negotiations, is billable hours. You're not just working when
you are researching the project and writing documentation or
code. Meetings are billable. Admin/supervisory work is billable. If any
kind of activity helps move the client project forward in any way -- or
even if it doesn't, but if the activity was put in motion by the client,
and created with that purpose in mind -- it's billable. If the client
doesn't like that, get another client ASAP.
You can bet that when *their* customers call tech support on a billable 900
number, it's all billable, even the time spent when the tech support guy
doesn't know the answer or gives the wrong advice.
Billable billable billable. As long as you bill honestly, only for hours
actually worked, it's billable.
Steve Oppenheimer
Technical & Marketing Writing
writer -at- writemaster -dot- com
www.writemaster.com
(301) 468-9233
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