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Subject:Re: fees: charging for conceptual time From:Richard Guziewicz <rkg -at- WORLDNET -dot- FR> Date:Tue, 21 Jul 1998 10:50:29 +0200
For long term projects, I generally charge my clients for all the
preparatory work I do before actually starting the contracted job. This
work is often conceptual and speculative, but can also involve initial
research, interviewing, analysis, and so forth.
Once I've completed this preliminary phase, I use standard templates to
create a more or less detailed "proposal" that is sent to the client,
along with an initial invoice. The proposal contains, among other
things, a report based on initial research, recommendations,
identification of problem areas, and risk management information.
For short-term projects, the proposal usually takes the form of a
letter or memo.
Regardless of the format, the proposal covers the in and outs of the
project, my statement of what I believe the deliverables to be, terms
and conditions, liability insurance, and so on.
I have found this practice invaluable on many occasions. It has often
saved considerable time and money (both my client's and mine).
I have at times lost contracts because the proposal clearly spelled out
that a deliverable could not meet client specifications for reasons a),
b), c), and so on.
I have lost contracts, but invoiced for the proposal and been paid.
Some of those same contracts came back my way when the deliverables did
not in fact meet specifications for one or more of the reasons I
initially stated.
Furthermore, in addition to the actual deliverable, I provide an
"after-action report" in the form of a letter, memo, or lengthier
document that is sent along with a final invoice. This report is also
charged for. It contains valuable information or recommendations
(again, the result of conceptual and speculative thinking) that may
help the client perform better the next time around.
Granted, some of these extra charges or fees may be nominal, depending
on the nature of the work, but they are always "monitored" in the back
of my mind, whenever I invest my time.
I highly recommend you use some form of journal to note down anything
undertaken for the benefit of a client, and the time spent doing so.
Whether you actually charge for all of that time is up to you.
Incidentally, I find Microsoft Outlook 97 very useful for such record
keeping.
In short, professionals of all sorts charge for their time, in one way
or another. Feeling uncomfortable about that immediately marks you as
an amateur. However, in my view, the time you charge for must always
result in something tangible for the client.
=====================================
Richard Guziewicz
Technical and Corporate Communication
Quality Consultant for the Service Sector
Member of ITG Consulting, Paris
Villa Cabaneres - Montplaisir
F-82370 Corbarieu, France
Tel. & Fax/modem: +33 (05) 63 67 82 40
Email: rkg -at- worldnet -dot- fr
ICQ# 13102060
