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In article <961201114441_1717807852 -at- emout03 -dot- mail -dot- aol -dot- com>,
AnnMacknz -at- aol -dot- com writes:
>However, as a contractor, I charge by the hour, just like electricians,
>programmers, and plumbers.
FYI - I just had my house rewired and every electrician gave me flat rate
quotes (frankly, it surprised me - I thought it would be hourly too).
As a note to this discussion, if you're quoting flat rate, be firm on
knowing as much as possible up front. Re the person who mentioned that
people forget to ask for indexes and so on - remind the customer up front!
I used to have a list of typical manual items that I used as a
sales/planning tool. It's really just a generic outline, but you can use
it as a check list of what was originally quoted.
I've also successfully gotten people who were determined to go flat rate
to
go hourly by reminding them that they will generally pay more for flat
rate, since I build in fudge factors to protect myself (I hate going back
and asking for more money). When I do come in under budget, I split the
difference between my client and myself - they never complain about paying
less, and I get a bonus for taking the flat rate risk.
