[Sigia-l] Freelance IA consulting: Discovering the cost of do ing business

[David R. Austen]

Hello, Victor:

I appreciate your response and I take your points. (I am going to try
to continues to steer this in the direction of CDB.)

First, I'd say we are already taking on enough risk ( in many, many
different ways) without adding an additional damaging factor:
establishing prices so low that we cannot sustain our careers and
businesses by charging that little.

Wouldn't it be better for us to have this kind of reputation:

"You might possibly find an IA who will work for as little as $, but
if you want quality IA you better be prepared to spend $$. You get
what you pay for with IA. Don't try to cut corners. And never insult
an IA if you want real enthusiasm. You're not buying widgets."

And how about developing repeat business in other ways:

1. Exception customer service. 2. Exceptional quality. 3. Keeping up
to date with the latest IA research. If we sell on the basis of
**pricing** strategies there will always be somebody able to lure away
your clients. Keep the focus on 1,2,3 and your client will be less
likely to stray, methinks.

Complex work? It would take longer and more money would change hands.
Should we really consider lowering our rates for some jobs because
they are easier to accomplish? I'd never suggest that to my local
mechanic when he does a job like my brakes, a job that is simple
enough that I could do it myself. He has one hourly rate for his
labor.

(I won't suggest set rates, yet you may have good idea for a future
thread on pricing: categories of services that may have different
rates)

I would like to suggest that when the client sees we have performed
well on one job the client will be likely to offer a more crucial, and
important, and prestigious job the next time. They may think that a
bigger contract is enough reward, without offering us higher rates.

So would I then ask the client for a higher rate at the same time I am
rewarded a larger, more prestigious project contract? Might seem a tad
bold. And reward is the verb clients would be using.

I also would not want that client to remember that once, when I was
"hungry enough," I would agree to do IA for as little as $.


Warm regards,


David                           

http://zillionbucks.com -- Web hosting for the creative industry

Friday, June 07, 2002, 4:52:32 PM, you wrote:


VL> The scenario might be more complex. For example, say you have one
VL> client