[TheForge] RE: Question...

[Andy Vida]

Steve Smith wrote:
> 
> This sure sounds strange.

	It's California.  Mi capisce?

> I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to live in a
> community of other electrical engineers. Just make sure you get paid
> when you do the work, don't get talked waiting for a percentage when the
> house sells!

	I don't life a finger until that 50% up front check is in my 
	hands.  25% more PRIOR to delivery at the 50% completion point,
	and I'm thinking in 5% increments from that point on.  That way
	they can never get into me for more than 5%.  I can live with
	that much risk.
> 
> Sounding weird (and possibly too good to be true) also makes me think
> you should be careful about deposits and have payment spread through the
> work cycle (rather than all at the end).

	Covered.  See above. :)

> Charge separately for design,
> for instance, partial at work begin, etc. That way you're covered if
> something falls through.

	Design will be charged on a T&M basis (time & materials).  I will
	insist on this because it is an ill-defined and very open ended
	affair.  T&M @ $250/hr will inspire the client to good reason,
	to not pick too many nits, and to be armed with a clear vision
	going in.  If they fail on all accounts, my time is covered and
	I really don't much care if they spend six month bickering about
	whether this C-scroll shoulf face left or right.  I'll be happy
	to accomodate them on that basis.

	Experience has shown me that design on a fixed basis invites the
	asshole in the client to come out and play for all he's worth.
	When we were doing jobs for billionaires in Scottsdale and PV,
	this relaity was made painfully clear as Daddy Warbucks or his
	design agent would pick painful nits and reverse their requests
	more often than a goose craps.  Fixed cost design has proven for
	me to be a major money sink.  That may just be me, so don't
	listen to anything I say. :)

	As for sounding too good to be true, I agree, but I don't have
	a software gig running at the moment, so I can afford to devote
	some energy to this without incurring any losses, save some gas
	money.  If it pays off, it will have been well worth the little
	risk.  I would love to be able to walk away from the idiotic
	world of IT, if for just a year or so, and go back to doing 
	something REAL.  Real is good.  Real good. :)