[Jewelry making - Article 01315] - re: [Orchid] Design Fee?

[Carla M. Fox]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

Neil:

    You raise many good questions. One's I struggle with myself. I have
    jobs that I should have charged a design fee and haven't. I kick
    myself many times over for my lapse. 

    If it's a straight-forward job I don't do it. But if it's a job
    that's going to require a lot of give and take, sending designs,
    waxes back and forth, yup, it's got to be done. I usually introduce
    it after the first consultation. I give the client one free talk
    with me to decide if they want to do it or not and then I set a fee.
    Usually I "swag" it based on what they want and how much trouble I
    think they will give me or not. I find the design fee once paid,
    indicates they are serious and won't walk. 

    The 60th birthday present I mentioned in an earlier post, I could
    tell was going to be a design nightmare. The client was wonderful
    but chock full of ideas, had high expectations, and no idea of what
    she was asking for. It was going to take a long time to get her to
    land on an idea. 

    Once I purchase materials I ask for 50% upfront, non-refundable. 

    I find I never charge enough for the design time. I mull over the
    choices, how to fabricate, how to push the design further....I wring
    my hands, draw, scan sketches, prepare clearly written emails so the
    customer can see what decisions need to be made. (I live far from
    most of my clients and email is how we communicate.) 

    Also I factor in how desperate I am for $. Sometimes I will go the
    extra mile for free to get the job. And sometimes like the birthday
    job, I have enough on my plate, I don't need the work. 

    So, how's this for a non-answer to your good questions? 

Carla
www.carlamfox.com

 
____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________