What will it cost?

"Is that all?"

The cost will generally depend on how long it takes. But you can be sure of value for money, because I work fast and I am good at understanding quickly what you want to achieve. I charge by the hour, day or project, based on a competitive day rate. Though I am happy to negotiate reduced rates for long contracts or for special circumstances.

"Estimate, guesstimate"

Estimate or Quote?

You may want to give me a set budget or, once briefed, I will give you a fee estimate, based on the time I expect the job to take (including any likely expenses). This may be taken as a 'Quote' and so will be the price you pay. Or, if you prefer, we can agree an 'Estimate', which may be increased or reduced according to the actual time taken to do the work. Of course, some clients seem to like a third way, with a Quote that is reduced in direct proportion to extra work added to the job.

Changes

If I have missed something, I bear the cost of the extra time. But if you decide to change your brief, that would normally involve an extra cost.

Cancellation

If you decide to pull the plug at any stage, all you have to pay is the cost of the time that I've actually spent to date.

"So how long will it take?"

Of course, this largely depends on the length of your particular piece of string. Sometimes I can turn a job round in a day, or even overnight. If you're in a different time zone, I can work through your night and we can do some 24/7 stuff (as they say).

I don't mean to avoid the question, but it really does depend on the job. Do you want gobbledegook turned into plain English? Is there desk research to do? Will I have to interview people?

But let's talk. The sooner I know what you want, the sooner we can get started.