Pragmatic Business Considerations

A checklist for structuring your services, sales, and delivery.

Know exactly what you are selling

By having specific, productized packages ready to pitch rather than relying on custom, open-ended quotes. You should have a clear one-page offer detailing the scope, deliverables, and fixed price. To maximize your rates and stand out, ensure you niche down to solve a specific problem for a specific industry.

Secure upfront payments before beginning any work

You should request a 50%, one-third, or weekly progress payment structure. Have a payment or deposit link immediately ready to send to clients. If you are offering ongoing maintenance, you can provide a discount for three months paid in advance, but be careful not to offer excessive discounts that make the work unprofitable.

Always use basic contracts

To define your deliverables, outline completion dates, and establish project boundaries. You can use tools like HelloSign to manage this, and you must also remember to handle your taxes appropriately.

Don't get in over your head

By taking on massive, unwieldy projects. Keep your project scopes tight enough for a 1-to-2 week build and bid for projects in manageable steps or phases. Once you deliver a quick, visible result, you can then pitch phase two or a monthly maintenance retainer.

Streamline your sales logistics

By setting up an appointment page to easily schedule meetings. While Zoom introductions are effective and convenient, meeting in person is often the best approach when local opportunities allow for it.

Use AI wisely and aggressively

To research prospects, write proposals, generate code, and deliver your services faster. This directly boosts your capacity and profit margins.

Always gather testimonials

And reviews immediately after delivering quality work. Documenting past results and compiling case studies is critical for building proof and securing your next round of referrals.

Copyright 2026 Kevin Harville & Mustafa Sharifi

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