3 ms·

> I have stopped giving time estimates except for very small projects. I take 50% upfront 50% of what?

• mapleoin 13y ago
  the dough
  • robertfw 13y ago
    I think his point is that without a time estimate, you don't know how long it is going to take and thus if you are charging hourly, you don't know what the 100% is that you're taking 50% of. This obviously doesn't matter if you are charging flat rate.
    • te 13y ago
      Right. Except that I'd submit that it matters even more when charging a flat rate, as you're bearing all the risk of an underestimate.
      • k-mcgrady 13y ago
        I solve this by quoting a price between $xx and $xx, taking 50% of the smaller amount and then if the job takes longer than I estimated I have some room to charge more at the end.
        • DougWebb 13y ago
          How do you come up with the range? How do you know how much risk you're taking on that the upper end of your range is not seriously under estimated?
          • k-mcgrady 13y ago
            I've just learnt through experience. There is obviously still some risk involved but it's reduced. When I'm working on projects that are similar to ones I've worked on before I use a smaller price range and if I'm working on something totally new to me I will use a larger price range to keep the risk as minimal as I can.
            • kybernetikos 13y ago
              That's an interesting approach, but in fact your range is a time estimate, so it's not quite true that you've stopped doing time estimates, it's just you've stopped telling the cusetomer exactly what they are.