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| Re: Statement of Work - pointers
Posted by Sheryl Kaplan  on 11/28/2007, 4:52 pm, in reply to "Statement of Work - pointers"
Congratulations on getting your first consulting job! This is very exciting for you.
If you plan to continue consulting, I am not sure it is kosher to charge one client for the expenses you will incur that will apply to your cost of doing business on behalf of all your clients. You want your fees to cover your expenses, so this is something to take into consideration when you determine how much you will charge. You don't want to penalize this client for being your first and then charge other clients less, nor do you want to lower your fees for other clients. Even though it may be difficult to incur certain expenses now, you will recoup them, you can deduct them on your taxes, and it is important to do things the right way from the start. You will continue to have these costs as registration in each state in which you work, for example, has to be renewed annually.
I believe that the state registration for consultants working on events is different from the one for Grants Consultants and is in fact more stringent. I don't know what state you are in, but the requirements include numerous clauses that must be in your contracts, which leaves you less to think about in terms of figuring that out. One way or the other, if you are doing this on an hourly basis, I suggest you be very clear in your contract on the number of hours you will work per week, per month, per year, over the life of the contract, before the event, during the event, after the event, whatever. It is critical that the amount of time to be worked and what you will be paid for are spelled out with no ambiguity. As a Grants Consultant, I don't do events but I spell out in my contracts what is my responsibility and what is the client's. I suggest breaking down every single responsibility involved in putting on this event, before, during, and after, and spelling out who is to do what. That will go a long way toward protecting yourself and the client from misunderstandings! And I can't see this client signing a contract without knowing how much it is going to cost them.
Hope this helps.
Sheryl
Sheryl A. Kaplan, MLS
Grants Consultant
http://www.skaplangrants.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/skaplangrants
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