[Hidden-tech] Billable hours question

[Edbride-PR]

My field is also public relations, and I don't know anybody who goes down to
increments less than a full hour; but then, I don't work with big agencies,
which may find it necessary.

In my original proposals, there is a standard clause that says something
like, "You want me to be spending my time getting attention to your
products, not filling out detailed reports..." The concept of a meter on
professional time is counter to a trusting and respectful relationship. So,
we set monthly activities, and the monthly report is a bullet-summary, not a
long narrative.

As to the original question, any time spent on client work is billable. I'm
pretty efficient, can draft a press release in an hour, but sometimes it
takes three. If the client wants revisions (who doesn't?), that doesn't mean
I did a bad job and should do the revision off-clock. Revision is part of
the process of getting it right.
    On the other hand, I would not expect the client to pay for my classroom
time if I needed to learn a new technology in order to work with them.

I'm always on the lookout for competitive news and market trends, and that's
just my cost of doing business (not billable). But the other work (drafting
press releases, approaching editors, telephone breifings, etc.) all is
within the scope of work; rather than being itemized, it is summarized.

Maybe I'm lucky...

Ed

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeanne Yocum" <jeanne at yourghostwriter.com>
To: "Anne Campbell" <annebcampbell at yahoo.com>; "Hidden Tech"
<Hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net>
Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 4:34 PM
Subject: Re: [Hidden-tech] Billable hours question


>
>
>
>
> I would argue that charging by 1/4 hour segments is a bit much, although I
> know there are fields where this is the norm.  In my field, public
> relations, everyone I know breaks the hour into six minute segments and
> charges time that way.  So, for instance, if I'm on the phone with a
client
> for 5 minutes, I charge .1 hour ; whereas you would be charging .25 hour
> using your method.
>