How I Work

A crucial part of any successful project is the relationship between the people working together to bring the project to life.

This page indicates how I work and will help you set expectations so you know what’s involved.

Initial consultation

For prospective clients, I offer a free consultation call that may last up to 30 minutes to discuss your business goals and if I’m the right person to help you.

This can happen via phone (voice call) or via video conferencing (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.)

If you’d like me to attend the consultation in person, it is possible within Dar es Salaam but my time will be charged (including travel costs to and from the consultation).

This consultation call is the only free service I offer and it does not exceed 30 minutes (whether a call or in person).

Rates

Everything is charged in one of the following ways:

An hourly rate of $30, with a minimum of an hour. This is suitable for existing projects which require me to do updates.
Value-based on the project, with a minimum of $250. This is suitable for projects which I’m starting from the beginning (Websites and Web Apps)

I don’t have a fixed-pricing structure.

All expenses (e.g travel costs) are re-charged at cost and all rates are in dollars (USD) and must be paid in that currency.

Payment terms

For payment of invoices:

An upfront payment must be made for new projects. This is usually 50%.
For retainer projects (If you buy fixed hours monthly e.g 4 hours every month), payment must be made before the 5th of every month.
The accepted payment methods are direct transfer to my bank account and transfer to mobile money
I am not registered for VAT

Consistent late payments will result in the discontinuation of services

Working location

I am based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and I primarily work from home. This means I have everything I need to do my job effectively.

I’m able and happy to attend client meetings or work on-site within Dar es Salaam if required. I charge for my travel time at my standard rates and all expenses are re-charge at cost.

Working hours

My working hours are from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Monday to Friday (GMT + 3). I don’t offer support outside of these hours and any calls, texts, or emails will be collected and tended to the next day. The only exception is work agreed in advance which can not be carried out during normal working hours such as moving a production site to a new server.

Replying

I have my email open at all times and when an email drops in during my work hours I will take a look at it to see if it is urgent (e.g server has gone down). If it is, I will drop everything and tend to it.

Urgent inquiries (e.g server has gone down) should be communicated via text messages or phone calls.

For the non-urgent emails, I usually reply at the beginning of the day and the end of the day.

Working for other clients

I have other clients who I work for on a regular basis and I ask you to take this into account when setting expectations for response times.

I always respond to emails/phones in case of an emergency (within my working hours) but in the case of multiple emergencies happening at the same time I work on a first-reported, first-served basis but I may recruit extra help if needed.

I don’t discuss any of my clients with other clients and I may work with clients who are in the same industry or who consider themselves competitors

Working with other developers

I’ happy to work with other developers of any level/expertise.

Third party services

Often clients will need third-party services (which I can not offer) such as hosting and email.

I do not require clients to use specific providers but I may offer recommendations.

Clients have the option to manage these themselves or let me manage them.

In case of any problems on the provider’s side, I am not liable.

If you think we’d be a right fit together, reach out now to discuss how I can help your business