the startups.com platform about startups.comCheck out the new Startups.com - A Comprehensive Startup University
Education
Planning
Mentors
Funding
Customers
Assistants
Clarity
Categories
Business
Sales & Marketing
Funding
Product & Design
Technology
Skills & Management
Industries
Other
Business
Career Advice
Branding
Financial Consulting
Customer Engagement
Strategy
Sectors
Getting Started
Human Resources
Business Development
Legal
Other
Sales & Marketing
Social Media Marketing
Search Engine Optimization
Public Relations
Branding
Publishing
Inbound Marketing
Email Marketing
Copywriting
Growth Strategy
Search Engine Marketing
Sales & Lead Generation
Advertising
Other
Funding
Crowdfunding
Kickstarter
Venture Capital
Finance
Bootstrapping
Nonprofit
Other
Product & Design
Identity
User Experience
Lean Startup
Product Management
Metrics & Analytics
Other
Technology
WordPress
Software Development
Mobile
Ruby
CRM
Innovation
Cloud
Other
Skills & Management
Productivity
Entrepreneurship
Public Speaking
Leadership
Coaching
Other
Industries
SaaS
E-commerce
Education
Real Estate
Restaurant & Retail
Marketplaces
Nonprofit
Other
Dashboard
Browse Search
Answers
Calls
Inbox
Sign Up Log In

Loading...

Share Answer

Menu
Management Consulting: How can I bill effectively for Business Consulting?
AC
AC
Alex Courson, Success Coach: Thinks Big & Still Gets Sh*t Done. answered:

I coach a lot of entrepreneurs who are trying to find balance and monetize their services without going crazy. You are not alone! There is no set way to bill clients for hours and projects and I've seen this issue come up A lot with over-givers. Especially those consultants who are perfectionists and want to make sure something is right for their end user regardless of how long it takes. While I applaud the quality of work, it is incredibly important to not over-extend yourself and your offerings.

As each client, as you pointed out, is different and requires a different amount of effort and scope per project - a simple hourly rate with your other obligations isn't a perfect fit for you. Don't beat yourself up, it's not about "growing up" or doing it the right way. It's about doing it the way that creates abundance for you and the highest quality work for your clients. If I may offer a hybrid solution that may work out best for you as you seem to not have a per project problem but a "knowing your limits" challenge:

Use an a la cart method of project selection and bill by project with written limits and expectations included as well as a set limit of hours devoted to each project.

For example, a public relations professional I was working with set her press releases with a maximum of two rounds of edits. If more is required, charge for the excess hours at a discounted rate.

Now go a step further. Whether you have a website or not, you can start using a service like acuity scheduling.com to bill and book projects directly onto your calendar and availability so your clients have the freedom to choose when they want you to work on a pre-packaged project during your availability, and can even add discounted hours automatically should they need them.

This level of automation takes the guesswork out of your billing question and saves you from going crazy with overwork and over-extending yourself.

Let me know if this sort of solution would fit in your particular work environment and please call me to discuss further or if you have any questions, going over your packaged pricing and reverse engineering the projects so you aren't over worked is your next step. Sometimes, simple system strategy and knowing your resources can make all the difference!

Talk to Alex Upvote • Share
•••
Share Report

Answer URL

Share Question

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Google+
  • Share by email
About
  • How it Works
  • Success Stories
Experts
  • Become an Expert
  • Find an Expert
Answers
  • Ask a Question
  • Recent Answers
Support
  • Help
  • Terms of Service
Follow

the startups.com platform

Startups Education
Startup Planning
Access Mentors
Secure Funding
Reach Customers
Virtual Assistants

Copyright © 2025 Startups.com. All rights reserved.