/technologies/businessofengineering/b/blog/posts/engineers-as-consultants-pt-3-how-to-price-consulting-servicesCongrats! Someone thinks enough of you and the work to ask how much your services cost. The natural engineering approach would be to quickly quote them an hourly rate that you have already defined as what you need in order to make a living. That&#39;...en-USTelligent Community 12https://community.element14.com/technologies/businessofengineering/b/blog/posts/engineers-as-consultants-pt-3-how-to-price-consulting-servicesSat, 03 May 2014 19:34:06 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:d3059a75-7e2f-4ed5-9fd3-843850e687f6DAB1<p>Hi James,</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Good post.</p><p>I agree with your approach, basically you have both ranges of the risk to you options.</p><p>If you trust the client and they have a very specific project with clear end points, then you can do a fixed price job, but you need to document every change and supply an updated cost quote before you agree to the change.&nbsp; It protects you and protects the client.&nbsp; They agree up front to have you do the change at the quoted cost.</p><p>If you have a new client, then by the hour is the ONLY way to go.&nbsp; Some clients make their profit by putting you into &quot;donating&quot; your time after they make changes to the job.</p><p>Don&#39;t fall for this approach.&nbsp; Use change requests and get the additional work agreed to in writing before you proceed.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>You can have a lot of fun and do good work by consulting, but you have to remember at all times that your time is worth their money.&nbsp; If they are not willing to pay for your time, then you must stop work until the issue is resolved.&nbsp; Otherwise you are at risk.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>DAB</p><img src="https://community.element14.com/aggbug?PostID=17642&AppID=96&AppType=Weblog&ContentType=0" width="1" height="1">