[thelist] partnering

A. Erickson amanda at gawow.com
Wed Jun 6 14:13:21 CDT 2001


> > Yeah... but your name is "sales."
> >
>
> I'm not even sure what that is supposed to mean.....

It just means that when your email gets to me the "from" line reads,
"sales at iibiz.com" instead of, say, a name. I was just being a little jokey.

> I'm a freelancer, with my own business.  2 years ago I
> "partnered" with a IT
> company downtown who was always getting asked about web design.  It just
> gets real messy, including all the following:

So, you wouldn't do that again?

> - who are clients supposed to contact
> - waiting for payment
> - documenting everything you do for a "third" party, so they can "stay on
> top of things"
> - possible problems with said partnership (friends or not, these
> things can
> happen), then what happens to the clients.
> - debates on what goes in whose portfolio
> - and on and on

Hmmmm... yes, these are things which have been playing about in my head.
It's important to have these pitfalls validated as it means I do need to get
serious about some of these issues.

> I would give anything to switch this to a referral based
> situation!  Give me
> the name - here's $200 - now just get out of my way!

Which brings up another issue -- the referral fee.

A long time ago when I was freelancing in L.A. an acquaintance of mine
wanted to refer a person to me. She emailed me and asked if I was available
and then if she could have a referral fee up front. I thanked her for
thinking of me, told her that I couldn't give her any sort of cash up front
since I was broke and that it would have to be contingent on completion of
the project. I lost that opportunity but never felt bad about it.

So, how does this work? A percentage of the total proposal? A flat fee? At
the beginning or end?

I totally feel that this person -- should work come out of it -- be fairly
compensated and appreciated for the work. That is not the issue at all,
really.

> And I would approach any new situation as such.  My specific
> approach would
> depend on exactly what SHE does..........care to share?

PR.

- amanda





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