Doing Business

Business usually begins with a face-to-face meeting to discuss project objectives and specifications.  From this meeting, Creative Circuitry will generate a simple single page specification for the work to be performed.  Included in this specification is an estimate for time to complete and itemized cost for major purchases.  Work is normally performed at the hourly rate with a monthly invoice until the project is complete or work is terminated.  For larger, more complicated projects, a more detailed specification and requirements definition will be needed.  Creative Circuitry will charge the hourly rate for generating these documents. 

Work may be performed on a time and materials basis, in which monthly invoices are submitted which detail time and materials charges.  These are usually performed under consulting agreements with the company or institution.  Fixed-price contracts may also be used, but these take longer to set up and execute, and will generally cost you more because of administration and contingency fees.  I highly recommend that work be billed on an hourly basis with monthly invoices, which allows you, the customer, to get your work started quickly and to focus the work effort on the actual project instead of contract negotiations.  The customer is in complete control with this arrangement, and is free to focus efforts on the most important project issue of the time.

A form 1099 tax basis or separate contract is acceptable.