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A 15-minute review after every fixed-fee website project

The next quote should benefit from what the last project taught you.

Compare three numbers

Write down estimated hours, actual hours and the amount available after direct costs and payment fees. Divide that amount by actual hours to find effective hourly earnings before overhead and tax. Keep cash collection separate from the amount agreed.

Find the biggest difference

Choose the work category with the largest gap. Was the estimate wrong, the brief unclear, the content late or an extra request accepted without a fee? A specific explanation is more useful than “difficult client”.

Make one change

If testing was underestimated, increase that line in the next quote. If stakeholder feedback arrived in fragments, ask for one consolidated response per round. If extra pages slipped in, introduce a page list and a simple written change estimate.

Save an anonymised learning note

Project type: five-page brochure site. Estimate: 37 hours. Actual original scope: 42 hours. Main difference: content layout. Next change: require final copy before visual design approval.

This is a fictional example. Use your own actual time and avoid putting client-confidential information into public marketing material.

Repeat the review across a few projects before treating one experience as a universal rule. The aim is a better estimate and clearer working process, not a complicated reporting system.