Make: Tips and Tales from the Workshop

2 Project Planning

Have you ever heard of the “hassle tax?” Years ago, when I was running a graphic design business, I was talking to a friend about an upcoming job that I was dreading because the client was a royal pain to deal with. I questioned whether I should even take the job; it wasn’t worth it. “Add a ‘hassle tax’,” he said. A what? He explained that, when dealing with particularly difficult clients, he added a percentage onto their job quote that took into account having to deal with the additional difficulties. “Charge what you need to get to feel OK about working with them. If they go for it, then the extra hassles are paid for,” he said. I instantly added the hassle tax to my job quotes for particularly difficult clients, and ...