If the issue is whether or not you can quote a standardized rate to a client, my answer is an emphatic "yes", and no, don't be greedy as in set the price on a job-specific basis.
Often my clients hear me say that there are only two types of jobs: "Brain surgery" and "Legwork". Brain surgery equates to "I don't know how I'll deliver that but having been a paid programmer for 23 years, I'll be able to figure it out." Legwork is "yeah been there done that... no problem." Either way this, to me, is just a function of time spent. I place a value on my time that I am happy earning no matter the task presented to me. So I make money. More importantly, the client comes back for the next job (and the next and the next...) because you have given them a baseline that they know they can count on. Your code spoke for itself so between the two you get customer loyalty that becomes a snowball rolling downhill. This strategy -- billing straight time at a single rate -- has worked so well for me that I'm now consistently booked solid. Actually have more work than I can handle, and all from long-term clients. First tried stemming the tide with a judiciously applied 50% rate increase. When that didn't work, I had to stop taking new clients. I'm still backed up at least a month. -- --mattRobertson-- Janitor, MSB Web Systems mysecretbase.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Discover CFTicket - The leading ColdFusion Help Desk and Trouble Ticket application http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=48 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:4:227793 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:4 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.4 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
