We try to cover the most frequently asked questions here, but there will always be more… so if you don’t find what you are looking for just contact us with your question and we will reply to you directly. 😀
How much will this cost?
This is the 100 million dollar question isn’t it? Honestly there is no real way for us to answer that in a FAQ page. We can tell you our hourly rate ranges between $75 and $100. We can also tell you that how long something takes varies depending on the task, the amount of changes requested and the time spent preparing before and training after. We can generally give you a good estimate of cost if you contact us with your project ideas.
Why does your hourly rate have a range?
We have some existing clients that have contracts in place at a certain rate, we have projects that take very little research or prep time and those are quoted at a lower hourly rate because there isn’t nearly as much ‘non-billable’ time involved. We are also contracted to other companies at times for a lower rate than is typical. In these cases, because they are buying our time in bulk, we trade longer term steady work over a higher per hour rate. If you contract us for a bigger project you have a better chance of getting a lower hourly rate, repeat customers with a good payment record also get deals on hourly rates or ‘free’ hours thrown in on projects as well.
What kind of customer service do you offer?
Personal, on demand, 24/7/365 customer service with the same rep every time (because there is just one). Now that may be overstating the customer service just a bit. If you call us at 3 am there is a chance no one answer your call (‘we’ sleep). However, if you leave a message or text or email, we will respond to you as soon as we can. Since we are a ‘one woman’ show here, you will never have to explain your issue over to a new rep if you call back, and you won’t have to wait for a rep to read notes on your project to get up to speed.
You won’t find that ‘non-responsive’ developer here, we always respond. We also give 100% on every project we work on so customer service issues are rare and handled quickly when they do happen.
Do you offer payment plans?
Yes. We can work within your budget to plan your project payments as needed. We can break a project into phases to make it more affordable (we will help you decide what is essential before launch and what can wait until you have more capital to invest). We can also adjust the down payment, and schedule more frequent payments throughout the project instead of just one or two lump sums. We also accept credit cards and can schedule recurring payments with a card to make it easy to submit your payments.
Do you offer hosting for my website?
We are not a hosting company, we do not offer hosting through our company. We can recommend a reliable hosting company, set up and manage your hosting through the company as well but we do not directly provide hosting services.
Do you do website development?
Yes we can develop a website for you. However, since our specialty is software development & business consulting, which is a more complex process than simply producing a simple website, if all you need is a simple website you may find other companies a more affordable option. If you need customization on your website, special plugins or features that a simple website wouldn’t handle (interactive elements, user sign ups, booking features, e-commerce) we would probably be a better fit for your project.
Will you work on my project even if it is already in progress?
Absolutely! We often step in mid project when companies find they need a different skill set, a faster turn around time, or more hands on deck so to speak. We have no problem working with existing developers/designers or programmers. We are skilled at assessing a project scope and seeing what needs to be helped along. We can advise the company of our findings, or simply step in and help where needed to get the project back on track. With a varied full-stack skill set we can work on just about any part of a project from a simple website to a custom software launch. Our goal is to look out for the best interest of our client, we put that above all else.
What happens if we don’t pay you?
Please don’t do that. Seriously, if you can’t afford to pay for services you contracted please let us know as soon as possible, we will work with you to figure it out. Non-payment of services already performed will be charged a late fee (spelled out in your contract) and all work on your project (and discussion of the project, consulting and meetings pertaining to the project) will be halted until the payments have been made current. If late payments become a habit we will require pre-payment for all services in the future. We hate the chasing down people for payment thing, we really hate paying lawyers to go to court to get what was agreed upon so if you could just not do that to us we will be forever grateful.
Who owns the rights to the software, website, designs, ideas etc?
Well, if you have paid your bill (see above) then you own the software, website, designs and rights to use the ideas I have given you as you see fit for any of your companies needs. Your contract with us will spell out the details based on your specific project. If you contract us to build you software you can do with it what you please, you can charge people to use it, re-sell it to people, offer it for download, put it in a box and keep it all to yourself. If you contract us to build you a website or design branding for your company you can use the website and branding designs in any way you wish for your company. You can’t sell the design to another company or offer it as a template for re-sale unless you have set up the project that way (and paid for that option). If you have contracted us for consulting services you can take notes, use the knowledge we give you in anyway you wish to promote and/or advance your business. That is the whole point of paying a consultant, however we do ask that you don’t create seminars, webinars, or offer our advice or ideas on your site for profit. Pretty much you can take what you paid us for and use it for what you want, but if it hurts our business in the process we may need to have a chat about proper use. We love helping people, we are generous with our contract terms, we want to share the knowledge, let’s just keep it fair.
By keeping it fair, we also agree that what you pay for is yours, we will not take software developed for you and re-sell it to others, we will not re-use the same exact designs or website layout for another client unless using a 3rd party template unedited is what was agreed upon in advance. We cannot guarantee that all our designs and ideas will be totally different for each client since we do work out of the same brain, however we do customize each plan and project based on what a client needs.
What is your stance on copyrights?
We believe strongly in artists’ rights and abiding by copyright and trademark law. We have wording in our contracts that put the responsibility for content on whomever provides the content, however we will not knowingly use a copyright protected image or design even if the contract relieves us of legal responsibility. We hold ourselves to a high moral and ethical standard and refuse to compromise that at any price. Asking us to look the other way, copy a design exactly, or use elements you do not have legal rights to will cause us to drop your current contract and refuse any future work for you or your company.
What is your refund/return policy?
If you are unhappy with the direction of your project please let us know as soon as possible, if you wish to have your contract canceled we can discuss what issues you are having. If we can’t resolve the issues to your satisfaction we have no problem letting you out of the remainder of your contract. If you have pre-paid for time not yet worked you will be refunded the balance on your account. Regardless of the status of a contract, you are legally obligated to pay for any hours worked prior to the notice of cancellation. We will not work any billable hours on a project once we are notified of an issue, and will inform you of any unpaid hours at that time. Products are often not usable if a contract is canceled prior to completion, you may keep things you have paid for, however most often things will need further professional work to be used as intended. If the issue you are having is a billing issue, we are more than happy to put your project on hold and keep things safe for you until you can resume development.
Communication is key, and something we excel at, let us know if you have any problems as soon as possible, we will work with you to help or make it right!