Comments on: How Do I Bill For All Of My Hours?

By: Ron Hodgson

Ron Hodgson — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:27:55 +0000

I have been estimating building contracts for many years and always allow a percentage for overheads and supervision. work out the amount of this time from previous jobs and change this into a percentage and use this on all future estimates.

By: Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:04:04 +0000

Edward,

Great approach! I sold engineering services and we clearly stated our proposal included project management, shop preparation and set-up / tear-down time. I also made a point to verbally communicate that to a client so they would comparison shop “line-by-line” and not just by the “price”.

Carlos Hernandezs last blog post..CarlosHernandez: 2/2 SparkPlugging.com’s "Ask The Coach". http://tinyurl.com/3jo9va

By: Edward Mills

Edward Mills — Fri, 09 May 2008 01:14:54 +0000

@Selene: Great point about time tracking! Keeping track of your time is so important! So many small business owners avoid this crucial task. But if you don't know how many hours you're truly spending on a project it's impossible to give an accurate estimate. And then you end up feeling undervalued. Edward Millss last blog post..Last Day To Save $200 On Energy Skills For Deliberate Creators

By: Selene M. Bowlby

Selene M. Bowlby — Mon, 05 May 2008 12:04:33 +0000

I think this is a pretty common problem faced by small business owners. Myself included!

I’ve recently started keeping better track of my time (more than just the “work” part of things, but some of the admin aspects as well). It’s amazing how much additional time goes into each project – just the communications back and forth, setup of one “little thing” here, or there, etc.

All things that I don’t normally charge for, but they really do add up! I like your suggestion to build more time into the initial estimates. I’m another one who feels strange doing so, but when you add up all that unbilled time – well, to be quite honest, it hurts!

I think I’m going to start including at least 50% of that time into my estimates. At least until I get used to the idea. I’m sure it won’t be long before I’m fully billing for it.

Thanks for making me realize the importance of this!

Selene M. Bowlbys last blog post..New Portfolio Section of Blog

By: Edward Mills

Edward Mills — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:52:26 +0000

@Caroline: This is such a common issue for small business owners. We all understand that stores charge us for their overhead costs but when it comes to charging for ours, it can be difficult. It really is about strengthening our self-worth muscle and slowly starting to charge for more of those "unseen" hours. Edward Mills's last blog post..Free Teleclass - The Fulcrum Point

By: Caroline

Caroline — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:14:08 +0000

This is great advice with an excellent analogy. I am just like this guy, I feel guilty about charging for these unseen-seemingly non productive hours. Thanks for your post! I will be back!

By: Edward Mills

Edward Mills — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:22:58 +0000

@Nicole: Thanks Nicole. Look forward to tackling one of your questions! @Jenny: Thanks! Edward Mills's last blog post..Free Teleclass - The Fulcrum Point

By: Jenny

Jenny — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:34:06 +0000

great post.

Jenny’s last blog post..Whatâ€™s Your Poison?

By: Nicole

Nicole — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:45:04 +0000

What great advice! I'm subscribing and look forward to reading more. I'll know where to come when I come up with questions of my own. Thank you! Nicole's last blog post..Sleep Disorders Linked to Children's Behavior Problems

By: Ask The Coach Blog Is Live | Evolving Times

Ask The Coach Blog Is Live | Evolving Times — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:25:47 +0000

[...] answer I tackled was from a handyman having a hard time charging for all of his hours. Check out How do I bill for all of my hours, and leave a comment down [...]