Q/A
Commonly Asked Questions
Are you willing to Negotiate your Consulting Fee
99% of the time No, however, I am thrilled that potential clients ask, it's a smart business move.
As with every rule, there are exceptions. Occasionally, discounts do make sense. Just make sure you’ve considered what discounting could mean to your business.
My reasoning behind this stance is simple and fair,
1) It wouldn't be fair to my other clients, I don't want anyone to feel they have been cheated or price gouged.
2) I would be doing you a disservice, by not practicing what I preach. I am always willing to work with my clients to get them the most valuable advice and work with a payment plan they can afford, down to the 15 minutes, and on payment plans and schedules. I provide quality service and don't want to lessen the intrinsic value by making it feel cheap or discounted.
3) The advice I provide speaks for itself, provides my clients with alternative thoughts, and is well worth the value because it is an investment that pays dividends well into the future.
4) I provide free knowledge and resources on the website itself, I don't trust anyone who hides knowledge or puts it behind a paywall, It is important for me to be transparent and provide all my clients with as many interesting perspectives as I can.
5) I provide value well outside of the client session, I think through and revisit all brainstorming, planning, and strategic analysis sessions long after the session has ended, the way I am wired, I am constantly working through these scenarios in my head and I cannot turn these thoughts off, so the value you are receiving is far beyond when the session ends.
6) Too much emphasis on pricing negatively impacts your benefits of the service, It gives a negative view to my clients that the services I am offering aren't worth paying full price for because of some quality defect.
I am a business person myself, so I am always willing to offer services in exchange for services or equity... let's make a deal.
Will you raise your prices in the future?
Probably, it's important to stay up with the cost of inflation, I want to provide the most value to my clients and as I grow so will my prices, we might outgrow each other in terms of cost, however, I will always be here to help, but cannot undervalue the value of my services.
Why do you make us sign a hold harmless agreement?
What are you going to do with the advice I provide, I cannot be with you every step of the way, I am a muse not the owner, I do not provide legal advice I am merely an idea guy, this is all for educational purposes of unlocking the minds ability to think and see multiple perspectives,
I can only work with the information I am provided offer alternative view points and opinions, I cannot guarantee outcomes, however what I can do is provide a strategic edge and help you be the best you can be.
What is an idea of a business to you?
A business needs to be able to financially sustain itself and its employees, as well as, make a profit. The point of a business is to make money, then once that is achieved we can do some cool things such as give back to the community, environmental work, etc... It is up to you what type of business you want to run, do you want to make enough to live then have fun, are you a numbers person who wants to maximize profit and expand?
Do you provide refunds
Generally No, because I deal in advice, I can't reclaim the advice I provided.
How do you charge? Billing & Payment
I charge upfront and need to accept payment before the session, It is easy to get burned on payment that is why I do it this way.