I have recently started my own business and have a few possible clients who have not confirmed anything with me yet but I also have one who is pretty keen and wants to meet me. I have agreed to meet them early July (when I am officially self employed) but I was wondering if I should charge them for the time I spend at the first meeting?
Part of me thinks it might be good to provide the first meeting free and then just invoice them for the hours I spend doing the book keeping but the other part of me thinks that it is all work and why shouldn't i be paid for my time. Advice please?
When you're self employed you spend plenty of time working but not actually being paid!
My feeling is that if you say it costs a certain amount for an initial meeting that would put a lot of potential clients off so I have only ever charged after we've met, agreed what I'll be doing and signed the necessary paperwork etc. I assumed that's what everyone did, but maybe I'm wrong.
I do not charge for an initial meeting, I always state that the first meet is FOC. My reasonsing is that clients are more likely to give you a call if they know there is no cost for this.
I hear what you are saying as regards to you should be paid for this time, but unfortunately I see this as part and parcel of what we do in attracting clients and getting them onside. You will find that you do have to do a lot of leg work in order to get clients, and as time goes on you will suss out the time wasters (and believe me there are a number about out there !).
So, that initial meeting albeit FOC, is valuable in its own way.
