Ethical Policy & Working Contract
I aim to practice what I preach and I run my own business under the same guiding principle that I teach in my business training. I run a successful business in which I look after my own needs, yet I also own responsibility for my relationships with those I do business with. I expect the same in return. I enjoy helping people and my favourite form of promotion is word of mouth, providing me with an added incentive to satisfy my clients needs. I have developed the following contract that I ask all clients to read and sign so that we have some shared principles upon which to base our work together. Unlike most contracts, this one stipulates more promises that I make to you than you do to me.
During this document
‘I’ and ‘me’ refers to Sky Wickenden
‘You’ and ‘your’ refers to the client employing the services of Sky Wickenden
Businesses that I will and will not work with.
Being ethically minded there are many forms of business that I will not work with but more importantly there are many that I particularly enjoy being a part of, including those who are
Networking
Networking is particularly important for all businesses and I am always looking not only to expand my own contacts, but also to put like minded people in touch with each other. I ask in return that if you are satisfied with my services that you let people in your own network know about me should they be looking for something I can provide.
Honesty
I will not knowingly lie or deceive you. Furthermore if you approach me with an offer of work and for some reason I think that the work you wish me to do will not be profitable to you, I will let you know my opinion. For example, if you want me to produce a website in a way that I know will be difficult to use or unnecessarily expensive I will tell you; I will then carry out the work if you still desire it. I am not financially accountable for my opinion should my advice prove to be wrong. I will always strive to communicate truthfully the purpose of any work that I undertake with you.
Charges
I agree to charge a fair rate for my services that takes into account the overheads, training and experience that is required for the service that is required. I agree to be transparent and provide a detailed breakdown of what you are paying for.
Reliability
I expect to receive 48 hours notice should a meeting or an agreed work schedule be cancelled or rearranged to a different day. I will charge in full if 48 hours notice is not given. Equally if I do not give 48 hours notice for canceling or moving the meeting to a different day then I will provide the service I was to do on that day free of charge at a later date.
Invoices and Payment
I like to provide a service that allows those I work with to feel as if I am working with them in the office. In order to facilitate this I provide a service contract system whereby you can pay for my services in advance at a reduced hourly rate. The service contract also allows you to use my time in much smaller sections, allowing you to change a few words on a website and pay for only ten minutes of my time instead of a full hour. This provides savings all round.
I also appreciate that it can be hard to trust me before having worked with me and so I also offer two other options. The first is an hourly rate, for which I can invoice you at my discretion. E.G. if a large work load is agreed or the work is spread out in time I may invoice you for work done up to that point before the whole of the job is completed.
Finally I can also work to a fixed quote, due to the extremely subjective nature of design work and the possibility of many redesigns being requested this tends to be the most expensive method of working with me. Working to a quote involves an initial deposit of 30% with a further 30% when half complete and the final payment on completion. When working to a fixed price I draw up a more extensive contract to describe exactly what is being paid for.
When not providing a fixed quote I can always give estimates of how much time I expect to spend on a job.
When not working to a fixed quote any additional expenses are passed on to you at cost. The only exception to this is travel and overnight stays which are charged at a fixed price.
In order to further facilitate my integration into your own business, my website includes a client log on feature where you can receive detailed information on how your money is being spent. It includes a list of job and task descriptions with the days and times I have spent on them.
Invoices are to be paid in full within 28 days of issue. I reserve the right to charge a fee for reissuing of late invoices. If a service contract is not paid within 28 days of issue then the hourly rate for work done reverts to my normal hourly rate until the invoice is paid.
Disabled and other access issues
I strive to make websites as accessible as possible, including enabling of access to specialised browsers when appropriate. I use the industry standard guidelines specified in 'W3C Techniques for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0.' However I do not follow them when it is not possible (e.g. to make Flash content available to any browser other than Internet Explorer).
Computer Coding
I agree to use well accepted conventions to maintain the readability of any computer programming code that I produce for you and to provide access to all source materials should you need them. (Licenses may need to be purchased in some instances, such as for licensed fonts).
During this document
‘I’ and ‘me’ refers to Sky Wickenden
‘You’ and ‘your’ refers to the client employing the services of Sky Wickenden
Businesses that I will and will not work with.
Being ethically minded there are many forms of business that I will not work with but more importantly there are many that I particularly enjoy being a part of, including those who are
- Involved in environmentally friendly technology or products, especially energy generation.
- Producing or supplying goods and services that are connected to the organic, sustainable and Fair Trade markets.
- Involved in personal development, health and teaching people how to think rather than what to think.
- Particularly interested in their responsibility to their staff, customers and the environment.
- Work to promote equal opportunities and the enabling of the disenfranchised.
- Charities.
- Involved in bringing Peace to the world.
- Be in any way involved in the production or trade of arms.
- Promote the suppression of liberty and the denial of human rights.
- Cause cruelty to animals.
- Suppress or disenfranchise environmentally friendly business and technology.
- Be multinationals, until we have a framework of governance that can stand up to them.
- Be pharmaceutical companies and their affiliates until they are far better regulated.
Networking
Networking is particularly important for all businesses and I am always looking not only to expand my own contacts, but also to put like minded people in touch with each other. I ask in return that if you are satisfied with my services that you let people in your own network know about me should they be looking for something I can provide.
Honesty
I will not knowingly lie or deceive you. Furthermore if you approach me with an offer of work and for some reason I think that the work you wish me to do will not be profitable to you, I will let you know my opinion. For example, if you want me to produce a website in a way that I know will be difficult to use or unnecessarily expensive I will tell you; I will then carry out the work if you still desire it. I am not financially accountable for my opinion should my advice prove to be wrong. I will always strive to communicate truthfully the purpose of any work that I undertake with you.
Charges
I agree to charge a fair rate for my services that takes into account the overheads, training and experience that is required for the service that is required. I agree to be transparent and provide a detailed breakdown of what you are paying for.
Reliability
I expect to receive 48 hours notice should a meeting or an agreed work schedule be cancelled or rearranged to a different day. I will charge in full if 48 hours notice is not given. Equally if I do not give 48 hours notice for canceling or moving the meeting to a different day then I will provide the service I was to do on that day free of charge at a later date.
Invoices and Payment
I like to provide a service that allows those I work with to feel as if I am working with them in the office. In order to facilitate this I provide a service contract system whereby you can pay for my services in advance at a reduced hourly rate. The service contract also allows you to use my time in much smaller sections, allowing you to change a few words on a website and pay for only ten minutes of my time instead of a full hour. This provides savings all round.
I also appreciate that it can be hard to trust me before having worked with me and so I also offer two other options. The first is an hourly rate, for which I can invoice you at my discretion. E.G. if a large work load is agreed or the work is spread out in time I may invoice you for work done up to that point before the whole of the job is completed.
Finally I can also work to a fixed quote, due to the extremely subjective nature of design work and the possibility of many redesigns being requested this tends to be the most expensive method of working with me. Working to a quote involves an initial deposit of 30% with a further 30% when half complete and the final payment on completion. When working to a fixed price I draw up a more extensive contract to describe exactly what is being paid for.
When not providing a fixed quote I can always give estimates of how much time I expect to spend on a job.
When not working to a fixed quote any additional expenses are passed on to you at cost. The only exception to this is travel and overnight stays which are charged at a fixed price.
In order to further facilitate my integration into your own business, my website includes a client log on feature where you can receive detailed information on how your money is being spent. It includes a list of job and task descriptions with the days and times I have spent on them.
Invoices are to be paid in full within 28 days of issue. I reserve the right to charge a fee for reissuing of late invoices. If a service contract is not paid within 28 days of issue then the hourly rate for work done reverts to my normal hourly rate until the invoice is paid.
Disabled and other access issues
I strive to make websites as accessible as possible, including enabling of access to specialised browsers when appropriate. I use the industry standard guidelines specified in 'W3C Techniques for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0.' However I do not follow them when it is not possible (e.g. to make Flash content available to any browser other than Internet Explorer).
Computer Coding
I agree to use well accepted conventions to maintain the readability of any computer programming code that I produce for you and to provide access to all source materials should you need them. (Licenses may need to be purchased in some instances, such as for licensed fonts).