Inspired Solutions
26 January 2006, 06:13
As I heard the story told, it went something like this:
Henry Ford’s assembly line went down. Teams of engineers tried everything to no avail. Losing money by the minute, Ford called Thomas Edison. Edison arrives, spots the problem and instructs the engineers. Ford’s dollars start flowing again. Two weeks later Edison sends Ford a bill for $10,000. Ford replies by letter that Edison was only on site for a few hours and he (Ford) needs an itemized invoice. By return mail Edison provides this itemized invoice:
- Time on site......$100.00
- Know-how.......$9900.00
- Total due......$10,000.00
It’s a story representative of what a designer or expert in any field faces when billing for services. Read what Andy Rutledge has to say about staring at ceiling tiles and billing for your results.
Filed under: Web Design
Good catch. I occasionally consult. It’s one of the things that academics, particularly engineers, are called to do now and then. I generally charge my clients based on the number of hours spent looking at their problems. I wonder, now and then, if I’m cheating myself. I have 30 years of experience and intimate knowledge of my field. Maybe I should change my approach to a per project fee or boost my hourly fee to reflect the experience and insight I bring to the table.
It’s certainly a thought.
— ruminator 30 January 2006, 09:40 #