Dependable: Complete Edition

The client gives you a list of features and wants a quote immediately. How do you respond?

You're on a Skype call with a potential client for the first time. They think web development is just like placing an order at their local Chinese Restaurant. They tell what they want, and expect you give them a price.

What do you do?

And of course, their budget is top secret.

You want to win this person's business and come to an agreement that doesn't land you working nights and weekends for barely-minimum-wage per hour. If you had a process for gathering requirements and setting prices, you could approach this situation with confidence. You'd set the goalposts in the ground now so that the client doesn't decide to increase the scope of a project after you've already signed a contract in an attempt to get free work from you.

You could take the "safe route" of billing by the hour, but then you find yourself either defending timesheets when the client didn't think his "small request" would take that long, or getting paid less when you're doing your job quickly and efficiently.

You're driving a taxi cab on a Dark Road With an Invisible Meter.

The client is worried about the upcoming bill for mystery dollars. You're worried they may not pay it. No one sets the roadmap; no one knows where you're going or when you'll get there.

If You Had The Knowledge, You Could Craft A Deal that's a win-win for You and The Client.

Removing uncertainty from a software project is possible if you have the right set of tools, systems, and processes in place. I've compiled the system I've used to transform my consultancy in Dependable: Deliver Software on Time and Within Budget. You can get on client calls with confidence, bang-out high converting proposals in under an hour, and take control of chaotic projects. Reducing project risk means offering a higher class of service to the client, which means they'll respect you more and pay you better.

Define The Goal, Define The Path, Define The Process. Everyone Goes Home Happier

You aren't going to be a freelancer that becomes a deer-in-the-headlights when the topic of money comes up, and you're not going to be a spineless wimp that tells the client whatever they want to hear. When you buy and implement the systems in Dependable, you'll be a trusted advisor and partner that can make a real impact on your brand new client's business.

What You'll Learn

• Different types of estimation, and when to use which one in a project.
  
• How to reduce surprises in a project with upfront research.
  
• Avoid the common misconceptions and mistakes that make a late project run even later.
  
• How to suss out your client's budget and time constraints.
  
• How to deliver the best product possible, even when constraints are squeezing the life out of a project.
  
• Know not only how to estimate the cost of a project, but the value of the project as well.
  
• Write brief proposals that help you convey your value to clients and close more sales.
  
• Build a systemized, repeatable development process that improves your reliability.
  

In the Complete Edition, You'll Also Get:

• An estimation spreadsheet tool, compatible with Excel, LibreOffice, and Google Drive
  
• The Shadow Work Audit, a worksheet to make sure nothing slips through the cracks when planning.
  
• Sample documents: Project roadmaps, value-based proposal, and standard operating procedure.
  
• A 50% ($20 -$80 /month) coupon for Remarq.io, the tool you can use to create high-quality proposals and reports.