Fixed scope, fixed price, fixed date

Because the same sentence can describe a three-day job or a three-week one. "Automate my invoicing" means something different for a business with clean data in one system than for one with invoices in three places and four undocumented exceptions. The tier prices are honest starting points; you get a fixed number in writing after the discovery call, before any work begins.

Two things: the automation platform, and AI model usage if the system uses AI. Self-hosted n8n is a flat server cost that does not scale with volume; Make.com and Zapier charge per operation, so they scale with success. I will model your expected monthly cost during the proposal rather than leaving you to discover it on the first invoice.

Yes, on a monthly retainer covering monitoring, fixes, and new workflows as you grow. Most clients start without one and add it once the system is genuinely load-bearing. It is optional, and I will tell you if I think you do not need it.

You find out in the proposal, not halfway through. If discovery reveals the work is larger than expected, I re-scope and re-quote before starting. I do not begin work and then come back asking for more.

That is usually the right approach. Start with the single workflow that wastes the most time, see it working, then decide whether to go further. Systems built at the lower tier are designed so they can be extended rather than rebuilt.

I will say so on the call, and explain why. Processes that change monthly, run a handful of times a year, or where nobody can explain the current rules are usually better fixed than automated. Turning down the wrong project is cheaper for both of us than finishing it.