Ask Me

Let's get it outta the way: How much do you charge?

$75 per whole hour. What this means is billing will be incurred at a rate of one-sixth (1/6) of one hour, or every ten minutes, with a total not over $75.00 per one hour of work.

I can get a student to do this for half your hourly fee. How do you like them apples?

I agree! If this is your business' need, please do so! Sound stupid to say all this? Not really. Here's why: I was that student. I got paid half (usually less!) of my current fee, but since I was a student still learning the ropes, it took me twice as long (usually longer!) to get the job completed. Math doesn't lie and it's saying you will most likely end up paying a student the same amount as you would a professional in the long run. Maybe even more. Also, as unfortuante as it is to say, you might have to hire a professional to "undo" what a student has unwittingly done. I'm not being mean to students, I'm just saying it happens.

So you’re much cheaper than a code shop. What’s the catch?

No catch! I work out of my home. It’s a great deal for me because I get a lot of freedom working from home. It’s a great deal for you because you don't have to pay the price in the long run for what code shops charge. This is because I don't have a big, fancy data center with all sorts of scary servers to maintain. I don't have any employees, office space rent, or much of the massive overhead involved with an office building. This is truly where I can pass along some savings to you.

However, I do have some conditions:

• I keep up to date on industry-standard software titles on my own dime. However, if there is a specialized piece of software required to complete your request, I will bill you for the software and retain ownership of the license. Meaning, once the software is purchased, I reserve the right to fully own it and not transfer the license back to the client.
• I reserve the right to adjust my schedule accordingly. Simply stated, I vow to complete your work in a timely fashion, but I reserve the right to work less hours per week than a traditional code shop. To this end, I will quote you the number of total hours required as well as the number of weeks it will take to complete.

What about my data?

I make backups of everything on my hard drive. I store your data on a separate drive and back that up as well. Once the job is complete, I will also send you a CD or DVD of your data.

Do you require a contract to be signed?

Absolutely. It’s there to protect us both. Be very wary of any designer who balks at the idea or doesn’t have you sign one at all.

Is your fee negotiable?

No. Since I can charge significantly less then others, I stand firm on my hourly fee. Thanks for your understanding on this one.

I have a friend who does web/app design / I can buy a book on design / I have a web page editor at home / etcetera…. ?

Very valid! This is exactly how and where I got my humble beginnings! What you’re getting from me when you hire me is someone who’s gone through the growing pains already, who knows the power of “working smarter, not harder” by employing time-saving techniques, and stays current with current design trends. There are very real, concrete reasons why some sites pop and are easy to navigate….and why others don’t and aren’t. The same goes for application design. I’ll be taking the guesswork out of things. I will work with you to get you what you want and steer you clear of common pitfalls.

The bottom line involves common sense. I can easily purchase a Haynes manual for my car so I can replace my own [insert car part here]. For too many reasons to list, however, I’ll just take my vehicle to a professional for repair.

I’m not sure if I really need a web site.

You very well may not. Each business is different. My two cents is that it couldn’t hurt. I know that I don’t have the time to visit a business after work with my busy schedule and most times, I can’t remember a phone number to save my life. I do check out their web site and based on that experience, it will influence whether I investigate that company further or their competitors.

I can purchase software that does what I want.

By all means, please do! There are so many titles out there that do so many things. If you need customized software, please contact me.

How can I be sure you have the skills I need?

Ask! Word of mouth is the most powerful form of both good and bad advertising. I’d be a fool to take on a client with needs that surpass my abilities. If what you want is too complex or I simply don’t have the experience, I will tell you. I’ll refer you if I know someone. Your business requirements are too important to me to let my ego bite off more than I can chew.

That being said, I can honestly say that I love doing this kind of work. I actually enjoy reading technical books on different programming languages and applications. I regularly attend technical seminars to keep myself abreast of new things and I make it a point to keep my hands dirty, so to speak, so that I don’t forget what I’ve learned. I think this stems from how much I enjoyed learning music theory and the excitement of applying those concepts to my own music. I truly feel that there’s a connection between writing music and writing code. Both are extremely challenging, creative, and rewarding. That’s why I believe I had an easy transition into this line of work and why I enjoy it so much.