Hi everyone

 

I just had a client contact me about a brand new 'specialist' recruitment company, asking for a quote for a website, she doesn't have any other details, apart from she wants it very basic to keep costs down, where she can add jobs, and clients can search for jobs...

 

In order to give a good quote, I've spent some time

 

reading though the brief

thinking and processing!

looking at other 'specialist' recruitment sites

writing a long email to my programmer (which took ages as you have to try to explain things in an easy to understand format!, not bacause he's thick, but its the only way to explain it!)

 

Sometimes I find myself doing unpaid management/work before I even get the job, is it just me!!!

 

Lou

Yeah , all this is a necessary evil I'm afraid, but what I do (rightly or wrongly) is if I get the gig, I whack a couple of hours onto the quote at my hourly rate to cover the time spent preparing and researching for the quote.

Thanks Kree8or!

 

Glad its not just me!!!, I try to do that too!

This is an inevitable part of being a freelance designer/coder, though there are tools out there that can make your life a lot easier, for example Project Bubble which I use on a daily basis for time-tracking, project management, invoicing and quoting for smaller projects. I can't advocate this one enough, it's brilliant.

 

Another system I use regularly is BidSketch. I use this service to draft proposals/quotations for larger projects and it makes it very easy to do, as well as presenting your finished proposal in a very professional manner.

I have run into this problem with some clients. You have to ask yourself if it's worth your time. I would agree kree8or that with some clients it's a necessary evil but now I typically work on retainer agreements if the client needs this kind of support. The bottom-line is that your clients will treat you the way you want to be treated. You draw your lines and let your client know where they are.

 

If they are truly professionals then they will understand if you're not willing to do management tasks for free. But if that's part of the services you provide you should include it in your fee. It's also a good way to build value for your clients. You can list some of the management tasks you do for them that others designers do not do.

 

If you can save clients, time, money, and work then they are often willing to pay more. The thing is you can't just randomly tack on additional fees without upsetting existing clients. You have to draw your line before you invite them in the door.

 

Or you risk losing that client forever.

 

The interesting thing I have learned is that sometimes retainer agreements lead to a lot less work for you when the client doesn't feel that they are paying for a specific good or service so much as they are paying you to be available.

 

I find myself getting on the phone and consulting with clients much more often.

 

It's a nice change of pace and in the end it's much more profitable for my clients because they aren't afraid to get my professional opinion on whatever marketing ideas they have.

 

I feel a lot closer to my clients when I'm on a monthly retainer.

 

It's like being a partner in their business.