Conducting Business

Potential Customer,

Unlike other pages at this site, this page is written as a note directly from me. It is a collection of information on buying services from me.

Trade: I believe honest trade is a great and honorable thing. I promise to endeavor to provide good service. I hope to earn your repeat business.

Work Done at your Site or my Site: I have an computer lab with broadband Internet access and an electronics lab to support projects. I can do most work at my site and I'm equipped to provide reports and partial work via email or FTP. I have worked with several customers in this manner to mutual satisfaction. For microcontroller programming, a simple stripped-down instrument can be set up at my lab.

Some projects require that part or all of the work be done at the customer site. I can accommodate that.

Travel: I'm pleased to travel to your site. I would enjoy trips of up to two weeks at a time. However, I would not want to be away from home or business for longer than that. I require that the customer pay for flight, rental car and hotel. I require allowance or reimbursement for meals and local travel.

Health: Customer's find me to be a jolly and active participant in projects. However, my health requires that I not lift heavy things or climb into tight spaces. It's nothing serious, just some rusty joints.

Good-faith Invoice: During the first week or two of a project we are just getting to know each other. For new customers I invoice after the first week (or similar phase) with terms of one week. After that, typical business terms and billing periods apply. If you can handle invoices every week or every two weeks, I'll take advantage of that.

Entanglements: I have no business entanglements with suppliers of hardware or software. I choose what I think is best for the project.

Rates: For hourly contracts I typically charge $65 to $145 per hour when the meter is on. Circumstances might encourage me to charge slightly more or less. I also charge "sales tax" for most customers. Please note, if you contact me and we discuss some ideas for your project and how I might help, the meter is not on. Many projects may require billing of expenses.

Project Types: For new customers, I almost always work on an hourly basis. However, there are times I will consider bidding a fixed price. One type of project that provides the best of product control with cost control is a two phase project with an hourly basis for the first phase (typically specification development) and then a fixed price contract for the second phase based on those specifications.

Dar's Technology: In some projects I bring a technology to the table. I expect to retain a right to that technology. Also, some types of programming technology are simply part of the programmer's craft and I keep the freedom to apply those again. However, I do respect technological propriety and will cooperate in the protection of a customer's technology.

Sincerely,

Dar Scott