Does the city to which you’re invited by the client affect your fee?

[hwic04]

If a client offers to fly you for a weekend to a city you particularly enjoy or are anxious to visit, would that affect the fee you quote? Assuming you’ll have some time for yourself during the course of the weekend, if the destination is Las Vegas, New York or Miami, for example, would you tend to offer a lower amount than if the destination were Pittsburgh, St. Louis or Wichita?

 

And on another aspect of weekend fees, is there a method you use to determine your weekend fee based on what your hourly or overnight rate is? For example, if you charge $1,200 for an overnight do you use a percentage of that amount to add on to determine the fee for a second night/weekend?

 

Thank you.

[Jarrod_Uncut]

No because it’s more expensive to be in the cities you listed. If anything it would be the other way around.

 

If I go to a city that’s less popular with the trade, I’m going to want the same or more. I told one client that, who’s a regular and wanted to negotiate. I’m like no...I’m already going to a town where I’m not likely to get any clients as it is (rural Midwest town), and I’d have to host. So that’s losing money on top of money lost for hotel. Why would I want to get less.

 

On the other hand, if it’s more than a 1 night weekend, then perhaps a discounted next day rate would be approachable.

[Guest Cayden]

No.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

No. A rate is a rate is a rate. Location doesn't matter.

 

As for a weekend, again, it's just a standard rate-for-time. No Stephen Hawking mathmatics needed.

 

A week or more, that's a whole different ballgame: Then I take into account client history, location, travel time and how much legwork I'll be doing to make things magically flow.