Scoped to the work, and it comes off whatever you build next
A few hours following how the work actually moves. You get it in writing, and it's yours whether or not you do anything else.
You tell me what's going on, below. I'll come back within a day with either some questions or a date.
First we agree what the diagnostic covers and what it costs — scoped to your business, not a flat fee. When we set the date, that's invoiced. Then I follow the work — how enquiries reach you, what happens to them, where things get written down twice, what depends on somebody remembering, and what falls through when everyone's busy. Mostly by email and a shared document. If there's a system to look at, I'll ask for a look at it. This is the method in full.
A few days later you get the report: what I found, what it's likely costing you, what's worth fixing and what isn't, and priced options for anything that is.
The fee is agreed and invoiced when we set a date. I ask for it then because I'd rather work with people who've decided — and because being paid either way is what lets the report say don't spend money on this.
Sometimes the finding is don't spend money on this. Your setup is fine, or the fix is something you can do yourself in an afternoon, or the money's better spent somewhere I can't help with. That's a real result and I'll say it plainly.
A diagnostic that always concludes "hire me" isn't a diagnostic.
- You already know exactly what you want built. Skip this and just tell me what it is.
- The whole problem is your website. Say so — that's a different conversation and I'll quote it separately.