Monday 10 March 2008

A Sample Billable Time Schedule when Managed Services won't do

Here is a sample billable time schedule:
  • Preferred client status: $XXX/hr
    • Minimum 4 hour response to initial query with scheduling for on-site/remote support to follow
    • Minimum ½ hour in ½ hour increments
    • Evenings (18:00 – 08:00) and Weekends (Friday 18:00 to Monday 08:00) +$XXX/hr
  • Support Contract/Hosting client 25hr Time Block: $X,XXX.00 ($XXX/hr) (invoiced up front)
    • Priority Response Time – maximum 4 hours to respond to initial query
    • Minimum 15 minutes in 15 minute increments
    • Time tracking reports issued monthly when there is activity to you
    • Small questions not billed (relative to their frequency of course!)
    • Evenings (18:00 – 08:00) and Weekends (Friday 18:00 to Monday 08:00) at time block rate.
    • A new Time Block will be invoiced with a balance of 5 hours left or if time balance is not enough to complete a requested support task.
  • Non-hosting infrastructure emergency response time – 4 hours or less: $XXX/hr
  • MS Application On-Site Training for 1 User: $395.00 (3hrs)
  • MS Application On-Site Training for 2 Users: $695.00 (3hrs)
  • MS Application On-Site Training for 3 Users: $895.00 (3hrs)
  • Windows SharePoint Services (internal Web site) same as MS application training fee structure.
  • Data Recovery Services start at $500.00
The above fee schedule is essentially a copy and paste from a typical fee schedule we would send to a client that is not interested in a Managed Services after explaining its benefits.

Time Blocks can be configured in whatever increments suit us with the rates reflected in the size of the Time Block and the type of client service needs we will be dealing with.

The above fee schedule provides us a solid baseline to work from. Consistency when quoting on fees is very important as it makes it easier for us to keep track of what is essentially three tiers of clients:
  1. Managed Services
  2. Support Contract on Time Block
  3. Billable Time Only or Open Support Contract
In turn, we can quickly ascertain at which response level a client is at. We can also keep track of which clients value our products and services by the amount they spend with us and make sure we keep them happy!

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

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