I love my clients! Why? Because we all only have so much time. We can’t make more. I can only do so many projects from now until whenever I stop working. That number may be 10 or 100 or 1,000, but it’s finite. So I’m picky. I only work with people whose projects and work I believe in or like. That ensures I do a great job because I’m as engaged as you are in what I’m working on.

My clients and I are partners in their success. I am a provider, not an employee. There’s a difference. You might say to an employee, “I have set up a meeting for 10 a.m. on Tuesday,” and fully expect me to drop everything to be there. To a consultant you say, “I’d like to talk about this next week, what’s a good time for you? I have 10 a.m. on Tuesday open, but Wednesday and Friday could work too.”

Doctors, massage therapists, hairdressers, lawyers, mechanics etc are providers. You schedule a time, show up at that time and tend to the business you need their expertise on and pay them for that slot. You don’t promise to be there on Wednesday, then walk into their office on Friday and say, “Sorry - I got busy and forgot about you - but I’m here now,” and then pitch a fit that I’m working with someone else who DID show up as they promised to do.

If you promise to get me material and information I need to do your book, brochure, website on Monday morning, but don’t deliver until Thursday, you may have to wait. I have booked Monday afternoon for your project and if I don’t have the information your window is GONE. You’ll have to wait until one opens up and that may be another week or two. I’m sorry, but that’s how it works. I know you’re busy, but if you want this done - you’ll demonstrate it by paying for the time, or meeting deadlines.

Freebies. I under promise and over deliver. As a result I’m often able to come up with extras - or freebies that I give my clients. You may have paid for two or three versions of a design for instance, but I become inspired and do four or five.

I see how your brochure could work as a flyer, or how the blog post I just wrote could be expanded into a 10-minute speech and I go ahead and create that or write it and give it to you. You didn’t ask for it, but it may help you succeed and I had time and the inspiration to do it, so I did. I may hear of an editor that is looking for a great story and I write one about you or tell them about you and get you some unexpected, but welcome publicity. Those things are a gift, a freebie. They’re not guaranteed, they’re not a given and they’re not routine for every project. They’re a gift. Please don’t expect or count on those with every project. I add value by adding it when, where and how I see fit over and above expectations. I do it as often as I can, but sadly, I’ve found many clients soon expect free work, or worse - demand it.

Unlike many providers I’m willing to work with a deposit and then on a schedule. That makes it easier for you and ensures you feel comfortable with the work before you pay. However, because many clients disappear for months at a time (along with their pay) I now charge a scheduled fee so I get paid whether you’re taking time to look it over or not. I build in enough time so that you DO have time to review the work and return it with comments before the invoice hits your in-box. However, if you can’t meet the deadlines, you still have to pay me if I’ve delivered the work whether you have looked at it or not.