Your needs: center stage.

Your retainer allows you to obtain technical assistance and guidance on an as-needed basis (see “What can a retainer be used for?” below). As help is sought, time is deducted in fifteen (15) minute increments from your retainer balance. Retainers are available for purchase in (5) hour blocks of time. In keeping with my metaphor, this block of time is a “Bar.” When all hours are used, additional Bars may be purchased without interruption of service. Bars are valid for one (1) calendar year from invoice date.

It’s difficult to nail down a complete list, as there is a wide range of consultative tasks that can be completed as part of a retainer. It may be helpful to think of me as a member of, or extension of, your leadership team with a focus on digital/technical stuff. Think Chief Technology Officer, Chief Digital Officer, Director of IT, or similar, in general terms of what I deliver via a retainer. Below are some examples:

• Web, creative, and technical strategy for your company, startup, product, service, process, website, user interface, blog, web app, or other project.
• Bespoke solution architecture and design for your internal process and workflows
• Software (commercial and open source) and infrastructure recommendations
• Content Management Systems or publishing platform support (e.g., WordPress, Statamic, Ghost, etc.)
• Representing your company in meetings or via email (e.g., emails or calls to vendors on your behalf)
• Prototyping, testing, and proof of concept activity
• Website, user interface, blog, or web app usability and user experience analysis
• Creation of wireframes for the purpose of optimization (following usability analysis) or conveying requirements to developers
• Business and technical writing, such as requests for proposal, requirements documents, etc.
• Vendor or developer interviews and selection
• Technical project oversight and management of development team(s)

Yes. Ten (10) Bars or 50 hours is the maximum balance that can be maintained at any time.

Not during the 50% launch promotion. However, once this promotion is concluded, the more Bars that are purchased will result in a lower hourly rate.

Unless we have a prior relationship, the free intro session, or Audition, is required before we enter into a retainer agreement. It’s an opportunity to connect before you book a Jam Session to ensure that we’re a good match for ongoing partnership.

When a retainer is established, you will be given a unique email address to use for making requests. You simply send an email with a summary of the work to be performed and the desired timeline for that work. After requesting service, you may receive a reply with clarifying questions and, if in-scope for the retainer (see “What can a retainer be used for?” above), you will be provided with an estimated level of effort in hours or Bars, an estimated completion date of the request.

You will work directly with me (Jay Benfield) the vast majority of the time. However, it is possible that you will interact with my wife and business partner, Christene. Although she typically works behind the scenes with various administrative tasks, at times she may handle initial request triage or may contribute to some of the service delivery. With website usability and user experience analysis, for example, she brings a very different pair of eyes to the screen. Professionally, she is an incredible project manager, so I may enlist her help in longer term project oversight activities (e.g., overseeing external development teams).

Every request is unique and our team’s schedule varies day-by-day. The amount of time needed to implement your request will be determined on a case-by-case basis, based on request scope and complexity evaluated against other requests in the queue. You will receive an estimated delivery time following the request.

If your request is urgent and/or has a very short turnaround time, I will do my very best to accommodate. If moving your request to the front of the queue will adversely affect the delivery of another customer’s request, I will reach out to that customer to obtain their consent for a change to their request’s delivery date. If they approve the change, I will continue with your request at the emergency rate (2x). If they are not ok with the move, I will slot your request in as aggressively as possible.

For example:
You have a very important presentation on Wednesday morning and you need my help with the technical content. You send a request at the end of the day on Tuesday. I had previously committed to Acme Inc. that I would have their request done by Wednesday morning.

In this scenario, I reach out to Acme and ask if they are ok with me pushing back the delivery. If they are ok with the reschedule, we proceed with the request at a 2x rate (1 hour work = 2 hours deducted).  If they are not ok with pushing back delivery, I do my best to get you something, even if not the full solution you’re seeking.

Yes. You can expect complete transparency and a detailed accounting of work performed. All retainer activities are captured in our online billing system. You can login at anytime and view the time and activity logged on your retainer to date. This interface also provides account summary and invoice information.

Yes. If you are working on a project that requires formal legal protection due to intellectual property concerns or other sensitivity, I am happy to execute a mutual NDA. That said, I maintain strict confidentiality by default.

Due to the terms of my current employment, I am not able to work with any healthcare organizations.

Further, while it should go without saying, I’ll err on the side of over-communication: I will not render services to any individual or entity that is engaged in criminal, questionable, or otherwise shady activity.