How I do Bill by Amy Shropshire

Amy Shropshire

Director of Crayons and Napkin Sketches

CASK Communications

1. DO YOU CHARGE BY THE HOUR OR JOB? When I 1st started out I charged by the hour thinking that it would ensure that I got paid fairly for every hour worked. But I found that clients weren’t really sure what they were signing up for that way and tended to restrict how many hours I could work – Great for their budgets but not so great for creating quality, portfolio-worthy work. Now I charge by what I call packages. Clients can pick from a la carte services (like setting up a custom Facebook Page) or a bundle (custom Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Blog pages) for a set price. This way they can see the bottom line, and I get to make sure I’m not limited to an hour to create something that I’d be proud of. Only a couple of times have I gone over the time that I thought it would take me and most of the time I’m under.

2. HOW DO YOU DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF HOURS? Unfortunately, this came through trial and error and I took many jobs where I under-quoted (ouch). But I keep detailed logs of the time it takes me per task (a time management software like FreshBooks helps immensely) and that way I can look back and figure out how long a certain task is taking me on average.

3. HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE YOU ARE DEALING WITH THE RIGHT POTENTIAL CLIENT AND NOT SPINNING YOUR WHEELS? I take a very laid back approach to potential clients. I figure that if I’m constantly trying to find new business and selling them, I’m going to be spinning my wheels on a majority of them. Instead, I look to build relationships with people who I think could benefit from my services and just let them talk about their company and issues candidly (usually over coffee) which usually tells me more about what they’re looking for and what type of client they will be than trying to sell my services outright. Sometimes by the end of the coffee ‘date’ I’ve realized that I can’t really do what they’re looking for and gain a future contact but save myself from pursuing a client that isn’t a good fit.

4. HOW DO YOU DRAFT CONTRACTS? I cheated here. I had an attorney draft up a template contract and I just fill in the blanks with the details of the job. If its a long term job (like maintaining a social media account), I do contracts in 3 month periods. That way, if I find a client is too high maintenance to be productive, is asking for services outside of what they initially agreed, etc. I can renegotiate.

5. HOW DO YOU PROVE YOUR CREDENTIALS TO THAT OVER CAUTIOUS CLIENT? Initially, I let them take a look over my portfolio and see what work I’ve done in the past. I also have some past and current clients who have agreed to serve as references and tell the potential client about the work I have done for them.

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