How and where I work.
This page provides up front expectation management to help inform you while you decide whether or not to work with me. I simply may not be the right fit for you, and that’s ok. I just believe in transparency from the start.
- Location.
I am a globally remote ‘Entrelancer’ (entrepreneur / freelancer). I am based in the US (and a US citizen) but will not always maintain a dedicated US time zone. We can absolutely add in-person onboarding or touchpoints into the contract (at cost), but I will not be on-site for the majority of the work.
Surprisingly, this keeps me focused on your project and removes almost all distractions. This way of working also keeps the budget and scope creep under control. - Communication.
There are a couple key points to communication.
First, because I will be frequently, if not near-exclusively, working in different or non-US time zones, I don’t want you to be worried about not being able to reach me. I have already built time zone synchronization documents and guarantee at least a couple hours overlap per day for Continental US time zones. If the overlap times conflict with your workflow, I will accommodate to the best of my ability on my end.
Think of it like this—if you have normal, ‘9-5’ type business hours, I’m essentially extending them. You get more done in a day without the scheduling hassle, shift work, or paying overtime!
Second, a major cause for concern from business owners who contract work out is lack of communication and updates, especially for off-site contractors. You don’t have to worry about that with me. Reporting was a non-negotiable part of my military duties for more than two decades. I would rather over-communicate than under-communicate. I also have non-billable administrative hours built into my work flow, during which you will get regular updates. If more communication is desired, we will simply write it into the contract (at cost). - Billing.
This is one area where I am flexible, but I also must protect my business while I help you improve yours. All items for billing and delivery schedules will be added to the contract.
I want to ensure that you have predictable and transparent billing. As such, you will receive invoices up front and updates as pre-approved changes occur. Payments are always due before deliverables are sent for hourly work.
For retained work (weekly), I operate on a 50-50 schedule. 50% of the retainer is due up front. The final 50% is due before the final deliverable is sent.
For retained work (monthly), I operate on a 50-25-25 schedule. 50% of the retainer is due up front. The next 25% is due at the beginning of week 3. The final 25% is due before the final deliverable is sent. (In ‘5-week’ months, the second payment is due at the beginning of the third full week.)
For 1-year contracts, I give you the option of paying monthly, quarterly, or a hybrid. First payment is due up front. The subsequent payments are due at the beginning of each month or quarter. The final payment (monthly schedule) is due before the final deliverable is sent. The final payment (quarterly schedule) is due at the beginning of the quarter or, if desired, can be split 2/3 beginning of the quarter, 1/3 before final deliverable is sent.
For hourly projects or when changes that incur additional costs are approved, payments are due before the final deliverable or change is completed.
This billing methodology ensures I have the resources to begin work, ongoing maintenance payments, and to ensure final payment is made. - Deliverables.
Delivery schedules need to be outlined up front in the contract. As stated in the Billing section, final deliverables will be provided when payments are received. Late or returned payments will result in withheld deliverables, regardless of deadline or contract language.
Re-works on deliverables identified up front will be limited. Re-works not added up front to contracts will incur additional costs or result in reduced project scope (I.e., “Yes, but we can do this or that…not both.”).
Delivery method (e.g., portal upload, cloud, email, etc.) will be identified in the initial contract. - Billable hours and work schedule.
Retainer billable hour calculations are as follows:
– Hourly: Varies. Billed at 15 min increments.
– Weekly retainers: 5 – 32 hours. (Project/time-based as agreed upon.)
– Monthly retainers: 128 hours.
– Yearly contracts: 1,320 hours.
Work times will flex based on my time zone, as described above. Work times will generally be outlined in the retainer or contract, but are also subject to PTO use (vacation time, sick leave, etc.). Any daily hours used by sick time will be made up at my discretion (working late, added throughout the week, etc.). PTO time will be communicated in advance, and will not be deducted from total monthly retainer hours.
Bottom line, you will get your allotted hours!
Work days are Mon-Fri. Any adjustments to work days will incur weekend / holiday premiums. - Cancelations and unused hours.
While it is my hope this never happens, in the event a retainer or contract must be canceled, hourly or weekly retained work will be refunded based on billable hours used vs paid.
For monthly retained work, I have a non-refundable initial payment policy (equates to 2 weeks). Any received payments beyond the initial two weeks will be refunded at a “per day rate” beginning with the day following the termination of the relationship.
For 1 year contracts, I have a non-refundable initial payment policy (equates to 1 quarter [3 months]). Any received payments beyond the initial quarter will be refunded at a “per day rate” beginning with the day following the termination of the relationship.
Example: Monthly retainer = $9,605 total. 50% ($4,802.50) non-refundable. If canceled 2 days after next 25% is paid, 3 days of that 25% payment will be refunded ($1,440.96), and no further billing will occur. - Rollover of unused hours.
For retained work or contracts, I do not standardize roll over of unused hours. When we develop our scope of work, we will maximize my usage as best as possible. If I overestimate the time it takes to complete a project resulting in significant, gross under-utilization, I will make it right. We can either add additional projects to the scope of work, or I will simply adjust the contract rate accordingly. I believe this is the best way to build trust.
For clients that utilize my services repeatedly, we can discuss rolling over significantly underused hours on a case-by-case basis, but any rolled over hours must be used within the following 30 calendar days.
FAQs
- What if I’m not happy with the deliverable?
- I follow a tailored but regimented process from the beginning of our relationship to help ensure you know what success looks like for you. Your final deliverables will be as good or better than what you determine and agree upon before any work begins.
- I’m confident that I can delight and exceed your expectations. If not? I’ll find a way to make it right.
- Are results guaranteed?
- Honestly? Nothing in business is guaranteed. There are simply too many factors to ‘guarantee’ success. That’s not just for your business. That’s for any business. If anyone tells you differently, I wouldn’t trust them. I’ll stand behind that statement all day.
- All that said, I will leverage every tool I have available to me to help ensure the highest degree of success I can achieve for you. I will also be very candid and up front with you. If I cannot deliver on an ask or conditions change that will negatively affect our agreed upon success metrics, I’ll show you why, and we will adjust.
- As I’ve stated previously, I’m not a consultant. Consultants typically only evaluate, diagnose, and prescribe remediation. Unless you are hiring me to do consulting for you (which I am happy to do), I have skin in the game too. I’ll help in every way I can to ensure we succeed. Guaranteed.
- Why are your rates so high?
- Your rates were (hopefully) determined through a combination of covering all your costs, providing your expert solutions, and making a viable profit. (If they weren’t, that’s all the more reason to talk to me!) My rates reflect the same.
- Your rates were (hopefully) determined through a combination of covering all your costs, providing your expert solutions, and making a viable profit. (If they weren’t, that’s all the more reason to talk to me!) My rates reflect the same.
- Can’t I do this myself or find someone cheaper?
- Can you do this yourself? You absolutely can, and I believe in you! If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be trying to partner with you to help solve your biggest pain points. But, ask yourself—where are you best serving your business? Do you want to do the work yourself, or do you want to lead, grow, and accomplish the mission you started the business to achieve? If you just want to do the work, that’s ok, but who did you select to look after the whole of the business for you?
- Can you find someone cheaper? Absolutely! But, consider what you are actually paying for. There’s a big difference between hiring someone to write notes on how your business process works, throwing it in a Word doc, and calling it an SOP and evaluating your whole operations process, identifying dependencies, streamlining your cross-department / staff communications, capturing your true costs, and developing a usable, efficient, re-creatable, and teachable business system. In other words, you are hiring me because I know what needs to be done and how to do it. Can you afford to entrust your ops to the lowest bidder?