Has anyone moved away from hourly rates totally? Just curious to see how you have found it.
After taking on board some comments made here and elsewhere I have decided that fixed fees are really the only way to go unless I want to stay a small business (which I don't really)
I did a few calculations and realise that there's:
a. More money to be made with fixed fees
b. A better deal for the clients
Just interested in your thoughts.
I know the fixed fee v's hourly has been done before. But I really want to know who has made the move, and how it worked for you?
The views expressed in this post are my own personal (HRA protected) views, and are not representative of any organisation I have any involvement with.
I am a firm believer of hourly rates and would not ever change.
This is because you get different types of clients - some organised with paperwork all in date order, bank statements all opened and in folder in date order, all cheque book and pay in slips filled in etc to clients who have not even bothered to open bank statements etc, paperwork all in a muddle, cheque book stubs and pay in slips not filled in with details and generally very disorganised.
Because of this think a fixed fee would be unfair to those clients who are very organised and make bookkeeper job quicker and unfair on bookkeeper and the organised clients that the disorganised clients are getting more hours for the same fixed fee.
Some clients with lots of paperwork in a muddle can take a few hours to go through putting in order before you can even start bookkeeping (I have had some clients who have muddled up 3 years worth of paperwork in carrier bag)
The views expressed in this post are my own personal (HRA protected) views, and are not representative of any organisation I have any involvement with.
