[techtalk] Re: Consulting (Kath)

rottie at pandora.be rottie at pandora.be
Thu Feb 1 20:09:19 EST 2001


Hi, i'm from belgium so i'm not really sure if the same applies for the
US.
Asking a letter as a reference about your work is obvious.. Even if you
don't keep up maintaining the site I would still ask for one. After all,
you did the work (and were never payed), and you did it good (I hope
:) ).. 

>From your letter i have the feeling that you feel responsible for the site
and would like to keep on working on it. However, once you will find a job
freetime will become an issue. It's only natural that they should
compensate you for sacrifising your freetime for doing the
site-maintenance. Deadlines are deadlines, and the users don't care of
their webadmin has a second (real) job, they just want the site up and
running. Even when you're dead tired after a very hard day.. 

I do agree with Mary, check out other consultants and ask their rates for
website maintenance.. Take half of what they ask (half because schools like 
things cheap and because those consultants have more
experience then you) and point out to your school that 1. you allready
know the work 2. don't need to be trained 3. are motivated and 4. that you
are simply the best deal they could get.

And ask for an hourly fee, no fixed amounts.. 
With a fixed amount they'll ask you a million small things that
take heaps of times and you wont get payed more.. They might decide the
site needs a workover and you still wont get payed for your extra time. 
With a hourly fee they'll think twice before wasting your time on small
changes that are really not important. And if a site needs a workover,
well, you'll be compensated for the extra time.
 
I apologize for any spelling errors, english is not my motherlanguage.

Greetings,
Liese De Vos
Domain Admin





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