The majority of my job involves remote work. I’m not on a street corner, mall, or booth advertising my wares. Rather, folks touch bases online or reach out via phone/email after someone recommends me.
I like to be nimble in how I deliver work, and wasting time on administration drives me nuts. As such, I am constantly improving the way infomation is exchanged. Trim the fat, so to say….
That’s how I arrived at the Client Information Form (CIF). It is a simple one-page Excel table that allows a potential client to quickly send me the needed ingredients to get started: client contact information, billing info, project location, work product desired, and communication with regulators to date.
Sure, this could be taken care of via email, but email, however useful, is bulky.
It is much easier for me to prepare a cost estimate once I’ve received a CIF, rather than to “wing it” on-the-fly. I am often asked to give a “ballpark estimate” for a job explained to me on the phone, but I resist doing so. Every project is unique, and since I typically charge lump sum for fixed work products, I want to nail the estimate up front. And, no one likes to be “nickel and dimed” to death.
So feel free to download a CIF from the Home page!