Good Morning to those of you who are early risers!
I have been working with a client for over 4 weeks and have not slept well almost since the beginning.
I have been getting up anywhere between 2:30 and 3 AM and going to the computer to plan the coming day
or just release some tension.
One of the things that I have been very bad about (and not just recently) is keeping good records of my time
and expenses.
You and I are professionals and as such don't need to be cutting prices or commissions. We write a simple
contract at the time of our agreement to provide a service to the clients whom have selected us.
We need to remind them that contract law is respect at the time of the signing. We don't do this step
properly we live with stomach aches and sleepless nights.
We should consider the way an attorney bills. He sets his hourly rate and a rate sheet is signed. This is
similar to a real estate agreement to represent; but he charges between 1/2 hour or an hour for everytime
he calls you or you call him. You learn real quick to not call! But if we kept a log of the amount of time
and travel, etc and gave a value to our hours then we would have a record of the costs involved in
servicing a client and at some point it just doesn't make any sense to continue serving such a client and
we need to close the book on them and move on.
I have found that I can make a better dollar on smaller projects and have satisfied clients who even give
me real referrals to their friends and family.
It's a New Year! Clear your mind of the way you used to do things and start afresh with the determination
not to get into the "giving away the farm!"
Be in control! Don't be like in the 2010 movie Inception where the line was "Where did he go? We're not getting paid!"
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