retainer with previous client

[diseasex]

Hi guys,
my previous client wants me to do occasional work and support the systems i wrote.
has anyone got any experience with retainers? what should be my rate? how many days or hours should i contract?

please note im on different contract now.

[northernladuk]

Bearing in mind we discussed it only last week did it cross your mind to do a search?

[NotAllThere]

Impossible to answer your question for you as it's not much different from "how long is a piece of string?". But I can tell you what I do.

I work on a retainer for a couple of clients. For one, I get 15 days paid per year. Any work done within those 15 days, I don't charge for. Any above are charged at the agreed rate. For another, I get 4 days per month. Over a year, the client guarantees I won't be asked to do more than 48 days. Since I started, it's been more like 20 days per year.

[LondonManc]

It very much depends upon how you want to structure it.

Two simple models are:
Straight retainer, one payment, T&M capped
Retainer based on small admin fee then all work on T&M basis

Do they want to guarantee you 4 days a month for example?
You could then charge them, say, £1800/month minimum (paid whether they use the four days or not) with any extra effort negotiable.

Charging clients a retainer – how they work

[diseasex]

Impossible to answer your question for you as it's not much different from "how long is a piece of string?". But I can tell you what I do.

I work on a retainer for a couple of clients. For one, I get 15 days paid per year. Any work done within those 15 days, I don't charge for. Any above are charged at the agreed rate. For another, I get 4 days per month. Over a year, the client guarantees I won't be asked to do more than 48 days. Since I started, it's been more like 20 days per year.

and even if you don't work you charge daily rate for these days, right?

[NotAllThere]

Yes, the 15 days a year and 4 days a month are paid regardless.

[diseasex]

Yes, the 15 days a year and 4 days a month are paid regardless.

thats all i needed to know, you can close this thread before ir35 implications guys come
Thanks

[diseasex]

Yes, the 15 days a year and 4 days a month are paid regardless.

if you are being called out, do you take day off from work or do it over the weekend?

Thanks

[TheCyclingProgrammer]

When I did this, it was effectively a 4 days a month retainer, charged at 4x my daily rate, with some provision for rolling over up to 2 days to the next month, or bringing 2 days forward, so long as I was available to cover these extra days. Beyond these provisions it was effectively use it or lose it, I billed for a fixed cost each month, was probably only used for about 50% of the time if that, so a nice earner.

My main concern contractually WRT IR35 was making sure the scope was well-defined, in this case it was to support the ongoing development of the system I'd already previously contracted to work on. Termination rights were generous in favour of the client - they could terminate at any time, effective at the end of that billing period, I had to give a full billing period of notice. The schedule also had an explicit end date.

Other than it was all based off the standard IPSE service agreement, under the terms of the MSA we already had in place including a decent right of substitution clause.

[diseasex]

When I did this, it was effectively a 4 days a month retainer, charged at 4x my daily rate, with some provision for rolling over up to 2 days to the next month, or bringing 2 days forward, so long as I was available to cover these extra days. Beyond these provisions it was effectively use it or lose it, I billed for a fixed cost each month, was probably only used for about 50% of the time if that, so a nice earner.

My main concern contractually WRT IR35 was making sure the scope was well-defined, in this case it was to support the ongoing development of the system I'd already previously contracted to work on. Termination rights were generous in favour of the client - they could terminate at any time, effective at the end of that billing period, I had to give a full billing period of notice. The schedule also had an explicit end date.

Other than it was all based off the standard IPSE service agreement, under the terms of the MSA we already had in place including a decent right of substitution clause.

how do you cope with being on other contract? do you take days off when needed or do job in the evening / over the weekend?

Thanks