[Hidden-tech] Retainers

[ussailis at shaysnet.com]

Another idea is to structure a contract in the manner that my father had in
the 1940s. He repaired industrial oil burners. This was not even close to
his regular job as a tool & die maker.

The contract has a set small fee (retainer) that is used up every week or
month. Work that you do uses that fee. If you don't do any work for that
month, the fee is yours.

An example: You receive $500/mo retainer. If you do nothing, you get the
$500. If you work for 1 to 5 hours, you get the $500. If you work more than
you bill them at $100/hr above the $500 level.

This allows your client to have you on a guarenteed basis, and pays for
your time lost. Time lost? Yes, remember, while you are on a retainer, you
cannot take that month vacation Florida.

Here, the sole purpose of a retainer is to assure the client that he will
have your expertise for some time during the month. For this you should be
paid. If only because you will not be able to take that fat-fee, onsite
only, 3 month job in Boston.

I use the above example because my father's weekly fee was probably for 3
hours work. This paid for his effort to make sure the car was gassed, the
tool box ready, etc. And ensured his availablity.


Jim Ussailis
jim at nationalwireless.com 

PS My how times have changed. My father got $9 / week plus part of the
phone bill. This time of the year he went thru that $9 worth and then some
every week. Ocassionally he would 'babysit' a greenhouse or apt block all
night long.



Original Message:
-----------------
From: Jeff Rutherford jeff at jeffrutherford.com
Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 18:07:18 -0500
To: paul at alias-solutions.com, Hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net
Subject: [Hidden-tech] Retainers


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