Steve,
Thank you for a great job on your new blog! In the upcoming Winter ACF Newsletter, Sarah will contribute an article on blogging ettiquette. This is new for me so I will be learning along with everyone else.
I hope that ACF members participate and support your pioneering effort.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Charging what you’re worth
Paul & Sarah Edwards: Lifestyles for the Millennium
The Costco Connection - December 2007 - Page 11
ONE OF THE MOST COMMON reasons small and home-based businesses struggle is that they chronically undercharge. Don’t make that mistake. Here’s a list of do’s and don’ts to help you establish a fair price for your services.
Don’t discount your prices for fear of not getting enough business, and don’t feel embarrassed to openly charge a fair fee for what you offer. Establish yourself in a specialty where you can excel at what you offer and charge accordingly.
Don’t forget to cover your out-of-pocket expenses and your indirect costs for overhead and benefits in the fee you quote. Take advertising costs, office expenses, travel, health insurance, vacation and sick leave, and retirement benefits into consideration when setting your fees.
Don’t forget you need to add on a reasonable profit so you can expand and grow your business.
Do quote fees openly and clearly upfront and get agreement, preferably in writing, before starting to work.
Do explain the way you work so the customer understands why doing the job in a “cheaper” way would actually be more expensive and will not achieve what he or she wants.
Do calculate all costs and profit in any fixed fee you quote. Or, if you will be charging a fixed hourly fee plus costs, make that clear upfront as well.
Do let a prospective client know beforehand if you will be charging a fee for your sales call, initial consultation or proposal development. Don’t surprise clients with a bill.
Do discuss any possible additional cost increases that you foresee arising with your clients, and obtain their authorization before proceeding with the project.
Never sell yourself short. Value what you provide. But remember: The only surprise your clients should have when they get the bill is what an outstanding product or service they got for the agreed-upon price.
The Costco Connection - December 2007 - Page 11
ONE OF THE MOST COMMON reasons small and home-based businesses struggle is that they chronically undercharge. Don’t make that mistake. Here’s a list of do’s and don’ts to help you establish a fair price for your services.
Don’t discount your prices for fear of not getting enough business, and don’t feel embarrassed to openly charge a fair fee for what you offer. Establish yourself in a specialty where you can excel at what you offer and charge accordingly.
Don’t forget to cover your out-of-pocket expenses and your indirect costs for overhead and benefits in the fee you quote. Take advertising costs, office expenses, travel, health insurance, vacation and sick leave, and retirement benefits into consideration when setting your fees.
Don’t forget you need to add on a reasonable profit so you can expand and grow your business.
Do quote fees openly and clearly upfront and get agreement, preferably in writing, before starting to work.
Do explain the way you work so the customer understands why doing the job in a “cheaper” way would actually be more expensive and will not achieve what he or she wants.
Do calculate all costs and profit in any fixed fee you quote. Or, if you will be charging a fixed hourly fee plus costs, make that clear upfront as well.
Do let a prospective client know beforehand if you will be charging a fee for your sales call, initial consultation or proposal development. Don’t surprise clients with a bill.
Do discuss any possible additional cost increases that you foresee arising with your clients, and obtain their authorization before proceeding with the project.
Never sell yourself short. Value what you provide. But remember: The only surprise your clients should have when they get the bill is what an outstanding product or service they got for the agreed-upon price.
Paul & Sarah Edwards are pioneers in the home-business field. They can be reached on the Web at www.pinemountaininstitute.com
The Power of One
By Jerry Tugwell, ACF
ACF Southern Region Director
I have been an ACF member since 1998 and have thoroughly enjoyed my association with the organization. I feel honored and proud to be a member. The seasoned members are gracious and helpful to new members, and the annual meetings have given me an excuse and opportunity to travel to interesting and beautiful locales that I otherwise might have missed. I desire only the best for our association and offer these observations mainly as a challenge to myself.
The power of ONE new member. I feel certain that many of us know a few conscientious, honest, consulting foresters who are not members of our group. Maybe they have not been invited to join. Or maybe they do not understand the importance and value of ACF membership. Maybe they have “just not gotten around to it.” Whatever the reason, I ask each of you to seek out these qualified, worthy individuals and invite them to join. Work on them. Encourage them to attend your local chapter meeting. I am certain that once they attend a meeting, our group will embrace them and treat them as family. Think of the added strength and clout of our association if we could double our membership.
The power of ONE article. I am sure many of us have complained, at one time or another, about the lack of the public’s knowledge of forestry and consulting foresters. I know I have. I ask each of you to write and submit one article per quarter commenting on forestry and consulting foresters. It doesn’t have to be long. It could be a letter to the editor of your local newspaper regarding some local forestry related issue. Perhaps you could write a commentary and submit it to an agriculture or trade association magazine. The list is endless. The opportunity to educate and inform the public is available to us if we will only seize upon it.
The power of ONE year’s dues. This is the suggestion that may get me trouble. I ask each of you to consider donating one year’s dues to ACF. This amount is in addition to our regular payment. I think an appropriate ratio of this donation might be 50% to ACF National for an endowment type fund, 25% to the Practicing Foresters Institute Trust (PFIT) Endowment Fund, and 25% to your local ACF Chapter. I know; money is hard to come by, the baby needs new shoes, etc., etc., but think about it. Many of us spend $500 or more per year on our cable TV bill! Think of this donation as an investment in your professional association. The donation of one year's dues by each of us should not pose undue hardship and could greatly increase the financial strength of these worthy organizations
Well, there it is. I've said my piece. None of it is earth shattering or rocket science type ideas, but these items, performed together, by all of us, could improve and strengthen our association significantly. I welcome your comments and input.
Just don't ask me to pay your dues for you!
ACF Southern Region Director
I have been an ACF member since 1998 and have thoroughly enjoyed my association with the organization. I feel honored and proud to be a member. The seasoned members are gracious and helpful to new members, and the annual meetings have given me an excuse and opportunity to travel to interesting and beautiful locales that I otherwise might have missed. I desire only the best for our association and offer these observations mainly as a challenge to myself.
The power of ONE new member. I feel certain that many of us know a few conscientious, honest, consulting foresters who are not members of our group. Maybe they have not been invited to join. Or maybe they do not understand the importance and value of ACF membership. Maybe they have “just not gotten around to it.” Whatever the reason, I ask each of you to seek out these qualified, worthy individuals and invite them to join. Work on them. Encourage them to attend your local chapter meeting. I am certain that once they attend a meeting, our group will embrace them and treat them as family. Think of the added strength and clout of our association if we could double our membership.
The power of ONE article. I am sure many of us have complained, at one time or another, about the lack of the public’s knowledge of forestry and consulting foresters. I know I have. I ask each of you to write and submit one article per quarter commenting on forestry and consulting foresters. It doesn’t have to be long. It could be a letter to the editor of your local newspaper regarding some local forestry related issue. Perhaps you could write a commentary and submit it to an agriculture or trade association magazine. The list is endless. The opportunity to educate and inform the public is available to us if we will only seize upon it.
The power of ONE year’s dues. This is the suggestion that may get me trouble. I ask each of you to consider donating one year’s dues to ACF. This amount is in addition to our regular payment. I think an appropriate ratio of this donation might be 50% to ACF National for an endowment type fund, 25% to the Practicing Foresters Institute Trust (PFIT) Endowment Fund, and 25% to your local ACF Chapter. I know; money is hard to come by, the baby needs new shoes, etc., etc., but think about it. Many of us spend $500 or more per year on our cable TV bill! Think of this donation as an investment in your professional association. The donation of one year's dues by each of us should not pose undue hardship and could greatly increase the financial strength of these worthy organizations
Well, there it is. I've said my piece. None of it is earth shattering or rocket science type ideas, but these items, performed together, by all of us, could improve and strengthen our association significantly. I welcome your comments and input.
Just don't ask me to pay your dues for you!
This article originally appeared in the ACF 2005 Summer Newsletter
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