Can I get paid more for my work?

How do you charge clients for your services? If you're like the vast majority of interactive agencies, designers, developers and consultants, you charge an hourly or daily rate for your work. But how do your rates compare to those of your competitors? And is there another way of doing business that will increase the value of your work?

This evening seminar will compare alternative billing models for interactive agencies and new media practioners, and explore how to drive higher returns through developing more valuable commercial relationships with clients.

What are the average industry rates?

In addition, we'll reveal the results of NMK's recent rate card survey (www.nmk.co.uk/ratesurvey.cfm), which examined average day rates for new media practitioners in the UK.

Topics under discussion include:

• How much should you charge, and how do you calculate your rates?
• Alternative pricing models
• Payment for value delivered as well as production fees - and measuring what impact your work has on the client's business
• Charging licence fees, so that you get paid every time your work is implemented.
• Retaining ownership of intellectual property – and exploiting it effectively
• Joint ventures and partnerships
• Retainers
• Performance-related pricing, e.g. payment for click-through rates
• Achieving returns on strategic consultancy ‘given away’ during sales process
• Calculating the value of experience and expertise
• Understanding clients well enough to propose deals that work better for you both.
• Finding a 'champion' in your client's company who will work with you to implement alternative business relationships.

Speakers

• Kasper de Graaf, Director, Ai Intellectual Property Development
• Charles Helliwell, Revenue Generator
• Mike Rowlands, Client Services Director, LShift
• Jon Bains, Chairman, Lateral
• Charlotte Neser, Managing Director, Abel & Baker
• Steve Sargent, Marketing Purchasing Manager, BT

Speaker Profiles

Jon Bains, Chairman Lateral and Lshift (www.lateral.net)
Jon, 30, was born in New York and raised in Scotland. In 1991, he set up and published Convulsion, an alternative music fanzine. This, along with DJ-ing and graphic design, led to a contract with the Internet Underground Music Archive, and Jon decided to leave his degree course, and Scotland, for London. Winning Radio 1's 'Radio Interact' allowed Jon and some friends to set-up Obsolete, and then, in 1997, he and five others formed independent web design and strategy consultancy Lateral. The company has since attracted an impressive list of heavyweight clients – including Levi Strauss, Stella Artois, Boddingtons, Odeon and RSPCA – and has received a number of new media industry awards in recognition of its pioneering work and professional approach, including its ability to form symbiotic business partnerships with a network of specialist companies.

Charles Helliwell, revenue generator
Charles Helliwell is an independent consultant who specialises in helping clients to maximise the potential of their business assets, people and relationships, and develop processes for capturing new business and attracting talent. He has worked within numerous business sectors, including Industrial, Banking, Petrochemical, FMCG, Media, Telecoms, Entertainment, IT, Distribution and DotComs. Over 25 years, this has included 6 start-ups. Charles helped build a centralised Sales & Marketing business for IDG publishers in Europe from scratch, which within 5 years was generating revenues in excess of $50m from a base of less than $5m. He developed an Online Community of internet executives from companies including the BBC, Cadbury Schweppes, Cable & Wireless, Diageo, Halifax, Honda, Nestle, Royal & Sun Alliance and Sainsburys. He was responsible for a team of over 20 Product Managers at Merisel, managing relationships with over 100 IT manufacturers, growing revenues by 60% and turning marketing operations into a profit centre for the company. He launched Electronic Arts in the UK and Europe with an equivalent advertising budget of over £20M, releasing over 250 new products in 3 years across 10 markets.

Mike Rowlands, Client Services Director, LShift
Mike has been consulting on digital communications and internet strategy for six years. He has worked with some of the largest and best-respected companies in the world including Microsoft, Virgin, Vodafone, Reed Business Information, Pearl Assurance and various dot.com companies. Over the years, Mike has produced a broad range of solutions based on internet technology – he was founder of the digital communications consultancy J-U-M-P, focusing on eCRM strategy; was Director of Operations at Zinc Ltd, a full-service new media agency based in London; and was on the management team at FT.com, where he developed the specification for the original launch and commercialisation of FT.com.

Kasper de Graaf, Director, Ai
As manager of visual authors in animation and design, Kasper specialises in the development of intellectual property, negotiating worldwide deals for TV, films, books, newspaper syndication and merchandise. As a producer he has delivered public communication projects for clients including the Birmingham Children’s Hospital and the Science Museum in London. Kasper advises the UK’s National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts on sustainable development of educational arts projects. He has acted as consultant on brand communications for leading global corporations including the BBC, Syngenta, Centrica and Toshiba. In the 1980s, after working as a magazine editor and author, Kasper built up the pop design group Assorted Images in partnership with Malcolm Garrett. Working with the top artists of the period, the group helped to develop branding and merchandise as important revenue sources in the entertainment industry. Kasper is an active member of the digital rights management committee of the UK government’s Broadband Stakeholder Group.

Charlotte Neser, MD, Abel & Baker
Charlotte Neser is Managing Director of Abel & Baker, an agency which she set up in the UK in 2001 and is now part of Wheel Group. Abel & Baker is an award-winning creative interactive advertising agency, working for clients including United Biscuits, Opodo, MSN.co.uk and Virgin Mobile. A&B has looked at a range of innovative pricing models to charge clients (including 'Value Based Pricing'). Prior to setting up Abel & Baker, Charlotte has worked as a Strategy Consultant and also in advertising as a Strategic Planner - so has had experience of a range of pricing models and techniques, both on- and off-line.

Presented in association with:

UK Online for Business (www.ukonlineforbusiness.gov.uk)