[Hidden-tech] Retainer Fees?

[Shel Horowitz]

>I am working with a new client that has lots of ongoing design work 
>for me and I am trying to accurately balance what I expect to get in 
>work from them with taking on new projects. Ideally I would like to 
>work out a retainer fee so I know to set aside x-hours per month for 
>them. Then I don't have to worry about taking on too much or too 
>little additional work.
>
>How are retainer fee's usually structured? Are they based straight 
>off your hourly fee or do they tend to be discounted? Does anyone 
>have a sample retainer contract they could send me. Also if we agree 
>to x hours and then the work comes in at less then that, it seems to 
>me that is their loss as I have already reserved that time for them 
>(and not taken on other jobs), but is this how it is actually done? 
>They were asking about hours rolling over into the next month etc.

I typically take a chunk from the client in the form of a good-sized 
check, work it off at my usual hourly rate, and when I'm close to 
using it up, let them know and they send more. Not a true retainer 
relationship, but it works for me. In some cases, where there's trust 
built up, I bill at the end of the month and receive a check.

Of course, most of mine is simply paid at the end of each project or 
group of projects by a credit card, and I collect the cc info before 
I start.

I've been thinking about some continuity programs where I charge 
their credit card every month until they turn it off, for some kind 
of subscription-based product--but I'm a long way from actually 
implementing that.
-- 
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