We thank you for allowing Gatewood Marketing to serve you, and we look forward to working with you as a client.
If all parties understand the terms below, there is an astoundingly high likelihood that things will flow smoothly, your project / task will be successfully implemented on time, and you will maximize the return on your investment.
Time / Billable Hours
All time incurred towards the implementation of your requests or project is billable.
Any task that can be performed in-house by you or your staff may reduce the hours billed to your company.
Training you or your staff to perform in-house tasks is billable unless the training is included in the terms of the service.
Meeting time, in person, by phone or on Zoom is billable. Email responses and advice are billed at one-half the rate of in-person, phone or Zoom meetings. The turnaround rate for email responses is considerably faster.
You will save considerable time and money by emailing your requests and including as many details as possible. Use our convenient Service Request form or send an email to contact@gatewoodmarketing.com.
You can save time and money by minimizing unnecessary meetings, immaterial subjectivity, changes of instructions, increase in scope, or any action that impedes the timely execution of your requests, campaign or project.
Once a particular project or tasked has commenced, unless your needs or other circumstances have significantly changed, we can include your add-ons to a Phase II or new project with separate billing terms and timelines.
Flat-Rate vs Retainer
Flat-rate projects are priced based on the amount of time it would normally take to complete the project under normal circumstances.
Before we begin your flat-rate project you will be presented a Quote for Services and/or an invoice that spells out the terms. Please read it carefully.
Flat-rate projects are not open-ended. They include a time limit that is based on an amount time that is generally more than sufficient to complete the task. The allotted time is spelled out in the General Terms of the Quote for Services.
If you discover the need for additional service(s) in the midst of the project, the additional services may affect the amount of time it takes to implement the items in the Quote for Services, and it may increase the cost of the project.
We understand that you may have personal preferences that are outside the normal scope of the project. If you have such personal preferences about immaterial aspects of the project; if that specificity is excessive; if the specificity has not been expressed in advance; and/or if the specificity materially increases the hours required to complete the project, that specificity will increase the cost of the project.
When you engage us for a flat-rate, a-la-carte project, you are agreeing that your fee will cover whichever comes first; a) the completion of the deliverables outlined in the proposal, or b) the number of hours allotted for the project which are included in the General Terms of the proposal. If the allotted hours are exhausted before the completion of the tasks, you may incur additional costs. We will provide advanced notice if it appears that you will exceed your allotted hours.
Retainer-based projects are billed strictly based on the amount of time it takes to implement requested tasks.
We only bill for tasks that have been approved in advance, or included in an approved plan or strategy.
Before the beginning of the “retainer-based” services, you will be presented a Retainer Agreement which outlines the hourly rates and other terms.
Based on past experience, clients normally save approximately 25% off the hourly rates by being on retainer versus flat-rate / a-la-carte.
If you desire custom designs, graphics, layouts, fonts and functionality that are not typical, and the customizations are immaterial to the services you have requested to be covered under your retainer, it will increase your costs and your retainer may not last as long as it might normally would.
It is advisable that you consider your budget and your total needs when you retain us. It is better to cover the basic and the necessary items first. If there are hours left on your retainer after the basics are covered, then you might apply your remaining retainer hours towards customization.
We will advise you on how to maximize your retainer. Suggestions include the prioritization of certain tasks, as well as which tasks will yield the surest return on your investment.
Your retainer does not cover advertising, printing, postage, equipment, inventory, Internet services, software, or other 3rd-party services such as legal, accounting and other professional services not provided by Gatewood. Please keep these items in mind when planning your budget. We offer budgeting assistance, if desired, which can be covered under your retainer.
Maintenance Service
Whether you are on retainer or flat-rate, ongoing maintenance and upkeep of your website is not included in the fee unless otherwise specified. Due to the volatile and dynamic nature of the web, we highly recommend that either someone on your team has web experience; that you outsource that responsibility to someone, or that you procure one of our web maintenance plans.
Communication
If we do not respond immediately to your attempt to reach us, we are either closed for the day, or engaged in activities with other clients.
Email is the most effective way to reach us. Our email accounts are monitored 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Under most circumstances, all email inquiries / requests will receive a response within 24 hours.
Phone calls are answered between 8:30am – 5pm EST. If you leave a message, please state the reason for your call. This will save us time and allow us to research your need, or in some cases, attend to the need before we respond.
Electronic media requests such as texts, DM’s and others follow the same timeline as phone calls stated above.
Project Completion Timelines
We provide an estimated timeline for project completion in the Quote for Services, Marketing Strategy or Web / Social / SEO Strategy. That timeline is dependent upon our receiving, in a timely manner, all the content necessary to complete the project, requests for information, as well as any feedback on drafts, strategies, budgets, or answers to questions pertaining to your project.
Payments
All payments are final. We incur costs (such a payment to staff, payment to contractors, software purchases, server setups, equipment use, and possible loss of other opportunities) when we agree to work on your project. At the very minimum, you will be billed for any costs incurred in the implementation or setup of your project.
We accept projects on a first-pay, first-serve basis.
Pre-payment is required for all of our services.
You project will begin upon acceptance of your full payment, or the acceptance of an agreed-upon deposit. Any outstanding balances should be paid in full before the final delivery of your project / or completion of tasks (such as activation of website, delivery on final graphic files, unfettered use of designs, etc.)
We accept most forms of paymentMake a Payment, including cash, checks, credit cards, Paypal, Cashapp, Venmo, ACH, etc.
Most projects and tasks should be viewed as an investment in your company and, as such, they may not yield immediate sales or results.
If you feel that a payment to us would place you or your business in a precarious cash position, let’s discuss. We would be happy to discuss some alternatives with you.
We look forward to being a stakeholder in your success and exceeding your expectations.
Sincerely
The Management Team of Gatewood Marketing, Inc.