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Most clients pay for you to solve a business problem for them. Assuming you're sticking within legal/ethical confines, the how of how you get from problem to re

by akulbe 10y ago

Most clients pay for you to solve a business problem for them. Assuming you're sticking within legal/ethical confines, the how of how you get from problem to resolution is immaterial to the client. As others have said, find someone who can get the answers you need, and pay them. Even if your margin is reduced a bit, you're still doing what the client wants and needs - solving their business problem. There is no shame in asking for help. Should a similar situation present itself in the future, I'd recommend being quicker about asking for help, when you reach the point where you need it. :)

donw 10y ago
A few very important additions to this: 1. Appropriately communicate the snag to your client: you've run into an unorthodox problem, and will need a few days to investigate the problem, but you will keep them updated on progress. 2. If it turns out you missed something important and blew the time on a wild-goose chase, don't bill your client for that time. Sure, they might be none the wiser, but nothing builds relationship better than honesty: "I am not billing you for these 20 hours, because I spent them researching a problem and not delivering value." For (2), clearly state that on your invoice.
- hackits 10y ago
  I would say you're sending a clear message to the client with (2) that you don't value your time. Bill them from the moment you start to the moment you end. This is inclusive of all meetings and correspondence you have with them. I highly recommend if you haven't look up consultation rates for Doctors, Lawyers, and Barristers.
  - donw 10y ago
    Funnily enough, I am rather intimately familiar with legal billing. Many, many years ago, I worked for a company that did semi-automated audits of legal invoices for global-scale clients. The number of times we caught lawyers billing full-partner rates for paralegal work was not small. We made a very good business by pointing out that $1000+ per hour was a tad expensive for photocopying documents. For a large legal firm, you can get away with this. As an independent consultant, your reputation, and the future success of your business, is based on the value you deliver to your client. If you had to spend 20+ hours tracking down a tough bug because the bug itself was that ugly, you bill for that time. But, on the other hand, if you blew 20+ hours tracking down a typo in the code that you made, you write that time off and credit it to the client. This is, in part, how you show your clients that you are worth $X000 per day: because they are only paying for the time that you spend generating value for them.
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]

by akulbe 10y ago

donw 10y ago

A few very important additions to this: 1. Appropriately communicate the snag to your client: you've run into an unorthodox problem, and will need a few days to investigate the problem, but you will keep them updated on progress. 2. If it turns out you missed something important and blew the time on a wild-goose chase, don't bill your client for that time. Sure, they might be none the wiser, but nothing builds relationship better than honesty: "I am not billing you for these 20 hours, because I spent them researching a problem and not delivering value." For (2), clearly state that on your invoice.

hackits 10y ago
I would say you're sending a clear message to the client with (2) that you don't value your time. Bill them from the moment you start to the moment you end. This is inclusive of all meetings and correspondence you have with them. I highly recommend if you haven't look up consultation rates for Doctors, Lawyers, and Barristers.
- donw 10y ago
  Funnily enough, I am rather intimately familiar with legal billing. Many, many years ago, I worked for a company that did semi-automated audits of legal invoices for global-scale clients. The number of times we caught lawyers billing full-partner rates for paralegal work was not small. We made a very good business by pointing out that $1000+ per hour was a tad expensive for photocopying documents. For a large legal firm, you can get away with this. As an independent consultant, your reputation, and the future success of your business, is based on the value you deliver to your client. If you had to spend 20+ hours tracking down a tough bug because the bug itself was that ugly, you bill for that time. But, on the other hand, if you blew 20+ hours tracking down a typo in the code that you made, you write that time off and credit it to the client. This is, in part, how you show your clients that you are worth $X000 per day: because they are only paying for the time that you spend generating value for them.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]