I recall that when I first starting using Autocad..I had a similar problem-that the up front preliminary
work and the normal fee structure didn't work. I was so convinced that Autocad was the way of the future, I perservered and knowing what a standard fee should be, contracted to provide services for a percentage fee, not to exceed. With more experience I was able to have a larger profit from the same fee. I find that as a single practitioner I am producing the same work load that I needed 4 people to produce the same gross billing.
Now I am setting my preliminary fee at about 1/3 of the percentage fee. While it may not balance the books on a single project, I am able to provide better docouments and building options very quickly for each project and would be able to do more projects....if the current economy would provide more projects. So again I have made an investment in future profits.
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Ann Dunning AIA
President
Ann M. Dunning, AIA, Inc.
Chagrin Falls OH
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