FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
Quite honestly, I am assessing comparable rates in the Philadelphia area, but will charge at least $25/hour and may in the very near future increase that rate.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
While active freelance research work is something I hope to do as 2020 progresses, my assumption is that my process here will be similar to that of my steps in tourguiding work. First, I will start with a number of questions if appropriate, partly to determine my appropriateness for the work. I feel I can add value to most writing projects, but will be less strong in a few areas of historical research such as economic history, detailed research on a building's evolution, etc., and stronger in areas which can be seen as part of social, sociological and neighborhood history, as well as biography. I will quickly attend to what I call housekeeping matters, partly to reach agreement on a general fee or hourly fee; if the latter, I will want to revisit the job within 10-20 hours at the most to make sure that the client is happy with my work. Other "procedural" housekeeping matters include a requirement for a 50% downpayment.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have an undergraduate degree in history from the University of Cincinnati, where I achieved a magna cum laude status, and a graduate degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, I have completed a number of research projects, while generally at a modest level such as those lasting anywhere from 2-30 hours, resulting largely in small articles, largely for two blogs which I have written, which I will include under the business website category here. I returned to research in the Summer of 2018 with an initial history of a suburban home in Wayne, Pennsylvania, just west of Philadelphia.