Hey Reader,

I was recently asked what I do to prevent burnout when I work on mostly longer website projects and ongoing retainer contracts. The answer for me is in quick, time-based services.

I'm often wondering if going back to time-based services like these go against the scale-able fee-for-service model. But I anecdotally know a lot of folks moving back to time-based services for projects that deliver a quick win to both the business and the client.

I've come to a point where I'm taking a side on pricing that is different from where I thought I'd land. I thought I'd be anti-hourly pricing. Hourly rates have their downsides: as an experienced pro, I don't want to be penalised for being fast. But hourly and day rates also have their upsides: at the conclusion of the time period, the work is done.

And it's the time-factor that makes these fun:

problem constrained by time = a challenge and a race

I love a quick win.

It's easy for these one-off services to seem like occasional add-ons to the core work I do, but they have actually been a game-changer for my mindset. Quick bursts of work provide me with just the rush I need to prevent burnout. They help me maintain momentum on longer projects by breaking monotonous blocks of repetitive work. Small projects also give me that little bit of perspective I sometimes need to think about a bigger problem in a new way. Add to this, of course, the dopamine hit of the quick win!

My point? Don't worry about how people tell you to sort out your pricing. Different pricing models will work for your business for a range of reasons. Sometimes, motivation can be a good a reason as any to launch something outside of your core offering.

Don't forget, time-based offerings can still be productised — so you're not all old-hat if you find new ways to deliver traditional services!

Cheers,
Nic

Need some clever strategy help? Or someone to smash through your design and website tasks? A Clever Hour or Clever Day might be just the ticket to moving your business forward! Clever, straight-up strategy and list-smashing day work for quick wins.

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