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This schedule applies from 1st January 2007 and will not change until 1st January 2009. All fees are denominated in U.S. dollars. This is simply because the United States is home to nearly all the software companies, consultants and lawyers who have ever approached me seriously with questions to answer commercially.
The standard rate for casual work is $300 per hour. A minimum of one hour applies. After that, time is counted in six-minute increments.
Time spent on incidentals such as downloading and uploading, unpacking and repacking, and making telephone calls to arrange shipment is time spent on your behalf and is billable. This time can almost always be reduced more economically for you and less frustratingly for both of us by careful organisation from your side.
It is only my opinion, of course, but I regard this rate as reasonable, and even as low. Please consider that each hour I apply specifically to your problem, whose solution is presumably to your commercial benefit, very likely draws from many more hours of research that I have undertaken entirely speculatively. To some extent, when you consult me about your particular problem, you are a sponsor of my research in general.
Work that would usually count as casual can be obtained for $275 per hour if you purchase ten or more hours in advance.
A discount rate of $250 per hour is available if you establish a reasonable expectation of providing at least 40 hours of well-organised problems per month over six months or more.
The rate for larger reports and projects is $2200 daily and $10,000 weekly, based on 8-hour days and 5-day weeks. Partial days and weeks are billed as whole, as your penalty should you leave me to twiddle my thumbs.
Please note that although I respond quickly to commercial problems, especially for emergencies, my ability to schedule whole days, let alone weeks, is sometimes limited. The longer the term, the more you should expect a delay before I can arrange your work around other work.
Payment is due one month from invoicing. Payment is to be transferred telegraphically in U.S. dollars at the sender’s expense.
Cheques are acceptable only if drawn on an Australian bank. I say this for the special attention of Americans, especially those who say in their own advertising that they will not accept foreign cheques, yet seem to think it appropriate to send American cheques to foreigners.