Hiring a Consultant for the First Time? Here Are Some Tips
February 7, 2013
I work with individuals and businesses all the time who have never before hired an editorial consultant to help them with their projects. There are a lot of practices common to those who do contract writing, research, and editing for others.
Deposits and Retainer Fees
When you hire someone to provide service work for you, often, you will be asked either for a deposit on the work or you will be asked for a retainer fee. A deposit is a payment toward the total you will owe for the project. For example, if a consultant is creating a brochure for your business, you may be provided with a quote for the total cost of the project. The deposit, then, would apply toward that total.
A retainer fee, on the other hand, is a certain amount of money paid in order to reserve the services of a consultant. For example, say you have about five or ten hours of editing for your consultant per month. Rather than invoice you each time for the work done, the consultant may instead elect to ask for a retainer fee equal to five or ten hours worth of work.
The reason that consultants ask for money up front is so that they can protect the work they do and help you to spread out your payments. Some consultants will ask for 1/2 up front and 1/2 at completion. Others will break payments into thirds. If budgeting is a concern, you will want to talk to your consultant prior to completing work.
Agreements and Contracts
Consultants will provide you with an agreement, in writing, outlining the work that will be done on your project. The agreement will specify what will be done, deadlines, cost and payment, and the number of revisions covered in the initial quote. You will also note that there will be terms for what happens if you or the consultant cancel the project for any reason. These are often quite detailed, but they serve to protect both you and the client during the course of your working relationship.
Talking Changes
The agreement and quote reflect the initial project, as was discussed in the consultation appointment. If there are changes, additional revisions, or additional requirements added to the project, often a contract or agreement revision will be in order. Don't be surprised if this also changes or results in a new quote from your consultant. If the changes or revisions are hefty enough, there may be additional costs or fees involved.
Be as Specific as Possible in the Initial Consultation Appointment
Sometimes clients don't know exactly what they want until a project is underway. Other times, they know what they want, but communication gets crossed somewhere and a consultant makes a mistake. A good consultant will take notes on what you would like to do in your initial appointment. If you are very specific (including word count, formal vs. informal language preferences, etc.), you can help the consultant to provide you with exactly what you're looking for and limit the need for multiple revisions. This can not only be a great way to save money, but it is also a great way to save time.
Don't be Afraid to Ask Questions
If you have a question, don't be afraid to ask! If your consultant doesn't know the answer, he or she will often look into it and get back to you. It doesn't matter how silly you think the question is, if you have it in your head, don't be afraid to ask the person.
For those of you who are experienced with hiring consultants, what tips do you have for those hiring a consultant for the first time?
Deposits and Retainer Fees
When you hire someone to provide service work for you, often, you will be asked either for a deposit on the work or you will be asked for a retainer fee. A deposit is a payment toward the total you will owe for the project. For example, if a consultant is creating a brochure for your business, you may be provided with a quote for the total cost of the project. The deposit, then, would apply toward that total.
A retainer fee, on the other hand, is a certain amount of money paid in order to reserve the services of a consultant. For example, say you have about five or ten hours of editing for your consultant per month. Rather than invoice you each time for the work done, the consultant may instead elect to ask for a retainer fee equal to five or ten hours worth of work.
The reason that consultants ask for money up front is so that they can protect the work they do and help you to spread out your payments. Some consultants will ask for 1/2 up front and 1/2 at completion. Others will break payments into thirds. If budgeting is a concern, you will want to talk to your consultant prior to completing work.
Agreements and Contracts
Consultants will provide you with an agreement, in writing, outlining the work that will be done on your project. The agreement will specify what will be done, deadlines, cost and payment, and the number of revisions covered in the initial quote. You will also note that there will be terms for what happens if you or the consultant cancel the project for any reason. These are often quite detailed, but they serve to protect both you and the client during the course of your working relationship.
Talking Changes
The agreement and quote reflect the initial project, as was discussed in the consultation appointment. If there are changes, additional revisions, or additional requirements added to the project, often a contract or agreement revision will be in order. Don't be surprised if this also changes or results in a new quote from your consultant. If the changes or revisions are hefty enough, there may be additional costs or fees involved.
Be as Specific as Possible in the Initial Consultation Appointment
Sometimes clients don't know exactly what they want until a project is underway. Other times, they know what they want, but communication gets crossed somewhere and a consultant makes a mistake. A good consultant will take notes on what you would like to do in your initial appointment. If you are very specific (including word count, formal vs. informal language preferences, etc.), you can help the consultant to provide you with exactly what you're looking for and limit the need for multiple revisions. This can not only be a great way to save money, but it is also a great way to save time.
Don't be Afraid to Ask Questions
If you have a question, don't be afraid to ask! If your consultant doesn't know the answer, he or she will often look into it and get back to you. It doesn't matter how silly you think the question is, if you have it in your head, don't be afraid to ask the person.
For those of you who are experienced with hiring consultants, what tips do you have for those hiring a consultant for the first time?
Posted by Ronda Bowen. Posted In : Freelancing
