Picked a flat monthly retainer over hourly billing for a local bakery client

Last fall I had to choose between charging a bakery $150 an hour or a flat $2,000 monthly retainer. I went with the retainer because they wanted constant social media updates and blog posts. Turns out I undercut myself - I ended up putting in 25 hours some months for that same $2,000. Has anyone else found retainers basically become a gamble on your own time?

2 comments

2 Comments

coran631mo ago

Set a cap on hours per month in the contract, anything over that triggers a separate hourly rate. I learned that lesson the hard way with a client who treated my retainer like an all-you-can-eat buffet.

young.spencer1mo ago

Yeah "all-you-can-eat buffet" is exactly right, that's a painful way to learn it.