Refreshed and Reset
Welcome back, finally!
I am so excited and proud of this new and evolving iteration of EricMichaelCreates.com that I wanted to take a moment to introduce you to it and to the new-found Why that's governing my work.
Clients, everything that you have come to love about my site, like the Toolbox and other functionality, is still here (in the same places) but with a cleaner look.
I have spent the better part of the last three months pecking away, page by page and post by post, to migrate my digital presence. This included reviewing, restructuring, and reorganizing every page and article on the site while rebranding and repositioning several service items and all of my social media channels.
The goal was really a simple one: I wanted singular digital and social destinations to share my work, as it relates to both my creative and individualized personal and professional development offerings.
I've come to find design deliverables—like brand assets and custom Shopify, WordPress, and Squarespace digital properties—to be just a fraction of the work I do.
The real intention I have for my work, the thing that I breathe into all that I do and hope to leave behind, is a stronger and more sustainable culture. Through a guided approach to consciously redefining what it means to be in creative collaboration, we collectively strengthen the connection to the work and deepen the meaning in the work.
Keep checking back: There’s a lot more coming from new creative service listings to helpful self-serve functionality and a new personal and professional development hub that’s sure to deepen our connection. Don’t worry, I’ll announce and lay it all out here.
Is there something, a particular aspect of my work or supporting feature, you'd like to see integrated into the website? Drop us a note and let's unpack all feedback and suggestions and maybe you'll see it here shortly.
(Re)Introducing the 'Managed Digital' Suite
One thing I know for sure is that creativity, innovation, and powerful performance cannot simply be left to their own devices. Not in an ever-changing digital landscape like the world wide web, anyway. You’ll come to learn, soon enough, nothing here is evergreen.
Success online requires the same things as success anywhere else: skillful and intentional management, regular and recurring maintenance, and (for most) a trusted collaborator who can help you chart and stay the course.
The Shopify, WordPress, and Squarespace platforms have been my personal sandbox for nearly fifteen years and, in all that time, I’ve never known one operating system, theme, or ancillary software to not require regular assistance or support. WordPress especially.
I’ve taken all I’ve experienced in supporting brands in managing their presence online, all of the data and statistics spanning management and maintenance tasks, content creation, and more to introduce a new service suite into my practice: Managed Digital.
Recurring management and maintenance services are nothing new for creative agencies and independent collaborators, like myself. While I don’t, some designers and developers require recurring service agreements for upwards of one, three, or even five years after your digital property launches. And more often than not, you’ll be thankful that you’ve locked yourself into one—anything can happen. (There are a myriad of reasons why I don’t require them but we can get into that later.)
I’ve served as registrar, host, manager, and maintenance support for clients over and over (and over) again throughout my career, however, Managed Digital is still a first-of-its-kind offering for me in many ways.
Managed Digital is the most concentrated-yet-robust service suite I may have ever incorporated into my practice:
The entire suite is á la carte, allowing clients to pick and choose the service coverage that may (or may not) serve their brand, online shop, and ancillary needs best. And snackable pricing means we’re even more in line with our core values of guiding our work through intention. You’ll never pay for tasks or services you don’t need.
The best part? I’ve incorporated the earlier ‘Park’ + ‘Prime’ + ‘Power’ suite and other offerings (for large-scale organizations) into Managed Digital as well. So, it’s more or less a one-stop-shop for all that comes next—and everything after.
Managed Digital offerings are available now, including WordPress and Squarespace Common Space, recurring maintenance and management packages, and more. Book a conversation to learn more or inquire about how Eric Michael can support your digital property.
Work Order Terms & Conditions
By submitting a Request of Work (or “EM&A Work Order”) in writing or by way of the online form, the Client (submitting party) agrees to the following terms and conditions in addition to the EM&A General Terms of Service, Payment, and Work & Acceptance as outlined below.
- Submission of a Request for Work (or EM&A Work Order) and/or receipt of quotation or proposal documentation does not initiate the assignment. Assignments are initiated on acceptance of said proposal collateral and the timely payment of any/all associated costs. This is not to prolong the process or inconvenience the client, this is to ensure Eric Michael & Associates has all of the required authority and resources to execute the work.
- Unless outlined otherwise (in writing) all work orders commence within 5 business days of receipt of payment.
- Costs and pricing shared in any forthcoming quotation, the scope of work or formal proposal documentation are flat-rate fees based on the (estimated) hours necessary to complete the work. This hourly rate, dictated by the delivery and turnaround requirements, will be called on for any additional or “overtime” required to bring the project to completion.
- Eric Michael & Associates quotes all assignments at one of three hourly rates, determined by the expectations and demand of the client: Standard and long-lead assignments (requiring fulfillment in no less than 10 business days) are quoted at $150 per hour with a five-hour minimum commitment; On-Demand and short-lead assignments (requiring fulfillment in less than 10 business days) are quoted and billed at the hourly rate of $225 per hour with a three-hour minimum commitment; Rushed assignments (requiring delivery in less than 5 business days) are billed at the Rushed Order rate of $300 per hour with a three-hour minimum commitment.
- Quotations and proposal rates include all reasonable and necessary project management (PM) and communication time and are clearly outlined within said documentation. If the Client requires additional meetings or erroneous communications, that time can/will incur additional fees associated with the scope and to the cost of work.
- Eric Michael & Associates reserves and requires all necessary third-party costs and fees in advance of the commencement of work. This includes all software, template, theme, shipping, file storage, and other needs.
- All sales are final and all standard EM&A Terms of Payment apply unless otherwise noted, in writing in advance or in the proposal of the assignment.
- The Client understands that Eric Michael & Associates works with third-party vendors like print suppliers and other partners and suppliers, including sign manufacturers and installers, photographers, illustrators, film-makers, interior designers, external website developers and coders, and other relevant partners to provide an extensive high-quality service offering beyond immediate in-house capabilities.
- The Client understands that there is always an expected variance of colors between color, shape, and size of print and physical products. This is due to the source of the print or visual, the types of inks and colors, the printing process, the substrate use, individual preferences, and other factors. As a result, Eric Michael & Associates is unable to guarantee 100% accuracy or consistency of color on any/all items and may not always be able to achieve the exact result expected by the Client. EM&A always suggests, when this is a concern, the obtaining of a "wet proof" as firm and final proof of production. Wet proofs will always incur additional fees.
- Eric Michael & Associates will never knowingly infringe on any copyright or trademark and will deliver, to the best of knowledge, original and unique creative solutions to the Client. Unless otherwise agreed to in writing, it is the responsibility of the client to ensure that no copyright or trademark has been infringed or violated and to make their own application for copyright or trademark with the United States of America Intellectual Property Office - if required.
- Eric Michael & Associates will never, at any time or in any manner, directly or indirectly use for personal benefit or divulge, disclose or communicate any information that is proprietary to the client. We will work to protect such information and treat it as strictly confidential, as outlined in our Client Privacy Policy.
- All general EM&A Terms of Service apply.
AutoPay Terms
Carefully read the Terms and Conditions for the EM&A AutoPay ("AP") option: By enrolling, opting-in, requesting, using or paying for any service provided by Eric Michael & Associates by AutoPay, you agree to these terms and conditions. If these Terms and Conditions are not acceptable to you, please notify the organization immediately.
AUTOPAY ENROLLMENT: (i) I understand that AutoPay enrollment is a manual effort via over-the-phone, over-the-web, and other application-based payment gateways; (ii) I understand that if I enroll in AutoPay online or over-the-phone with an electronic approval or signature, I authorize Eric Michael & Associates to treat that approval as evidence of my consent to initiate electronic payment transactions from my designated bank, debit card, or credit card account. This consent only applies to the initiation of the recurring electronic bank, credit card, or debit card payments. My authorization via electronic signature or written consent has the same effect as a handwritten signature on a paper-formatted agreement; (iii) I understand that AutoPay enrollment applies to the bank, debit card, or credit card account that I designate only; (iv) I understand the need and agree to make manual payments to Eric Michael & Associates until the AutoPay enrollment is established and I have written confirmation that I no longer need to make manual payments; (v) I authorize Eric Michael & Associates to automatically charge my debit card, credit card, or bank account, as applicable, for any/all recurring and incurred charges on my EM&A Account; (vi) I understand and agree that AutoPay payments are withdrawn on or around the fifteenth (15th) day of each month, or on the overwritten dates specified in my formal agreement or individual invoices which Eric Michael & Associates will provide no less than ten (10) days prior to the AutoPay date; (vii) I understand that in order to cancel AutoPay I must telephone or provide a written request to Eric Michael & Associates no less than ten (10) business days prior to the requested cancellation date.
PAPERLESS BILLING: (i) I understand that by enrolling in AutoPay, I also agree with Paperless Billing; (ii) I understand Eric Michael & Associates will issue and deliver statements of work, estimates, quotes, purchase order requests, and invoices to me directly via email, and authorize them to do so; (iii) I understand that it is my responsibility to alert Eric Michael & Associates of any/all virtual or email address changes in addition to ensuring proper forwarding is in place from the previous address; (iv) I confirm and agree that Eric Michael & Associates has my most accurate and reliable email address on record to date; (v) I agree to have Eric Michael & Associates notify me via email and/or SMS text message each month, at least ten (10) days before my payment is to be debited or charred of the amount of my bill and that my bill is available for round-the-clock online viewing, printing, and manual fulfillment; (vi) I agree to promptly and immediately update my email address and wireless phone number with Eric Michael & Associates if it changes.
UPDATES TO FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS: (i) I understand that if there is a need to change my debit card, credit card, or financial institution on record—including billing zipcodes, expiration dates, and security codes—I must telephone or provide written notice along with the necessary revisions to Eric Michael & Associates; (ii) I understand and agree that Eric Michael & Associates may automatically receive updated card information from the financial institution issuing the cards or accounts.
BILLING ERRORS & DISRUPTIONS: (i) I understand and agree that Eric Michael & Associates is not liable for erroneous bill statements, incorrect or accidentally authorized debit/credit charges; (ii) I understand that, if a billing error occurs, Eric Michael & Associates is responsible for correcting it after proper investigation, if and when I notify them of the error.
RETURNED PAYMENTS: (i) I understand that if my payment is rejected, refused, returned, disputed, declined, or reversed by my financial institution or card issuer for any reason, Eric Michael & Associates has the right to charge a returned item fee ($75 per-item) and cancel my AutoPay open enrollment account; (ii) I understand that my participation and AutoPay enrolment is subject to Eric Michael & Associates’ approval and AutoPay may be paused, suspended, or removed from my account for any reason; (iii) Eric Michael & Associates and participating financial institutions reserve the right to terminate my participation in this payment option at any time, as authorized by applicable law.
FEES: (i) I understand and agree that AutoPay is a free and complementary feature provided to clients as a convenience by Eric Michael & Associates and that there is no fee for participation in the program; (ii) I understand that I should verify with my financial institution to determine if additional charges apply.
CHANGES & UPDATES: From time to time, Eric Michael & Associates may revise these AutoPay Terms & Conditions. Eric Michael & Associates will provide notice of such revisions by posting revisions in any number of ways, including posts to the EricMichaelCreates.com website, Client Account Management tools, and even the EM&A Newsletter. Material revisions to the Terms & Conditions shall be effective no sooner than 30 days after posting any/all necessary alerts. If you do not agree to Eric Michael & Associates’ revision(s), you must terminate your AutoPay enrollment immediately in accordance with these Terms and Conditions. By continuing to use AutoPay after revisions are in effect, you accept and agree to all revisions and changes.
The Ten Percent
At the top of my career as a creative consultant, way back in 2009, I emailed (a very famous) celebrity mother and asked her kindly to be my mentor. (For the record: We had no mutual connections, no prior contact, and I had absolutely no right.) But I got an immediate response that spoke candidly about the growing demands of her professional life as her family rose to stardom and she generously offered me “at least one phone call and we could go from there.”
We talked for two and a half hours about a myriad of things (most of them personal) from situation to circumstance, curiosities and creativity, success and fame (and the difference between them), and, of course, at the very end, what the hell I was going to do with my life. I’ll never forget what she told me: “I don’t know what will ultimately become of [my life] but I know you know that it’ll be rooted in good.” I agreed and she continued with a lesson she learned from her daughter, “The easiest way to drop those roots is to embed it into your culture.”
I hung up on that call having gained two things: The first was a new friend and mentor who went on to make herself (and her network) available to me at what felt like my disposal, even when I clearly didn’t know what to do with it. The second was the informal framework for the core of what would become known as my (drum-roll please) corporate social responsibility, also known as “how I give back to the people and organizations that keep our communities thriving.”
My primary objective has since been to donate at least 10% of our resources (profits or time) to deserving non-profit organizations or not-for-profit initiatives.
The result of that commitment has yielded an unfathomable sense of gratitude and a bold underscore to the permeating daily reminder of the fragility and richness of my (and most of our) individual circumstance. The commitment itself has ensured I never reckon and rumble with the dreaded boredom and the accountability (needing to answer “when was the last time you leaned-in ‘just because’?”) has become a siren call; bringing me back to Self while pushing to-and-through gratitude year-after-year.
If you’re curious: I tend to be called into the arenas of supporting those living with or healing from childhood cancer, recovering from addiction, poverty, resource scarcity, and homelessness, as well as the fights against suicide prevention and discrimination and social and criminal injustice of every kind—including the fight for widespread equality and humanitarian liberation.
If you’re at the helm of a philanthropic organization, charitable giving endeavor, or another worthwhile initiative that you think might benefit from a collaborative partnership, please use the below form to get in touch.
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Privacy Policy
As much as Eric Michael and his team of associates care about building and empowering your entrepreneurial pursuit, Eric Michael and his associates also care about your privacy online and we take our part in protecting customers, clients, and everyday users the best we can. This page will help to define policy and practices as it relates to your profile, data, assets and our systems, services, and strategic partners.
It’s true that Privacy Policies can be quite boring to read. However, by continuing to use or buy from this website, employ its systems or software, or to engage with Eric Michael for service of any kind means you agree to let us collect and use your information in the ways set out in this privacy policy (the “Policy”). This is why we request and require you read the whole thing. That said, we believe know our privacy practices to be quite great. So, welcome.
SERVICES THIS POLICY COVERS
This Privacy Policy is a Master Privacy Policy and covers all digital platforms, websites, systems, networks, and services for Eric Michael and his collection of endeavors—including the various social media accounts. This Policy does not outline or support the privacy policies or practices of companies that are not explicitly owned by Eric Michael or any of his associated endeavors.
That means, when when you leave a digital property owned by Eric Michael a site or platform of one of our partners—say Mailchimp or MightyNetworks—this Policy no longer applies and the other takes over. Once you’re over the fence, it’s recommended you read theirs immediately.
WHAT IS PERSONAL INFORMATION?
Personal Information (“PI”) is any information that may allow for an individual to be personally identified, on- or offline. This can include your name, email address, social security number, phone number, mailing or billing address, or credit card information. Other data points, such as interests and economic status, customer number or usernames, IP address, geolocation tags, education, and even job title could also be considered personal information if that information (when combined with other information) is used to reveal your identity.
PERSONAL INFORMATION ERIC MICHAEL COLLECTS
Eric Michael only collects personal information from you (virtually) when you say that it is fine for us to use it. There are several moments when you may voluntarily consent for us to collect, use, and store your personal information:
Registering for an account: In order to collaborate with Eric Michael or purchase any of his on-demand, recurring, or point-of-sale offerings a customer or client must create an online account through one of his associated websites. This account allows you to manage your account, make purchases, and access support content as needed. To register for an online account, clients are required to share their email addresses and created a password as well as provide name, phone number, mailing, and billing address information. Each and every password is encrypted, however, we will have access to the other personal info you provide in your customer profile.
Direct provision: Sometimes we may ask for specific information from you so that we can effectively provide service and support as needed. Or, sometimes, you may choose to give us information on your own accord, during various support sessions. Both of these are good examples of when and how personal information may be shared and stored. You consent for us to use the information you have provided when you reach out to us by email or social media accounts, post on our Facebook community groups, use the “contact us” or other forms on our website, make an e-commerce purchase of any kind, fill out any client intake forms, interact with our support or customer service teams, or comment on our social media accounts. If you are posting on any of our affiliated social media groups—including Facebook or MightyNetworks—you should always be aware that these platforms and all information stored are accessible to the public.
Interacting with online services: Personal Information is also permissibly collected (such as IP address, device and browser type, geolocation, network connection, and frequency of visits) every time you engage with any of our online systems, software, and services. Third-party services, such as Mailchimp and Google Analytics, are employed in the management of each of our sites to support data collection and reporting for the purpose of enriching our practice and offerings in the future. This information is pseudonymized and aggregated for our internal processing. This means we will never (or would never want to) be able to pinpoint that it was you who visited our website or services 62x in one day—just that someone, somewhere had. You (and every visitor) is made aware that we are collecting this information by the friendly-yet-annoying General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) pop-up that appears when you visit the site.
MMM. COOKIES:
It’s time we share our cookie recipe, but don’t worry: they’re totally kosher, all-natural with limited preservatives, and completely fat-free. These cookies are special cookies, small files that are transferred to your device through your browser to enrich your experience.
Cookie Favors Types: Session cookies, those that are erased after your browser leaves the site, and persistent cookies (those that stay on your device for a limited period of time or until you delete them) are both in use.
Why do we use cookies? Sure, all media networks like to know who is visiting and where they’re coming from and what they’re enjoying (this helps us prioritize specific content and retail offerings). However, the intention behind our cookie usage is only ever to maximize your user experience. In addition to helping us identify users, cookies also help to prioritize some content throughout the network: like previously viewed products and coursework, as well as advertising (“paid”) media and the like. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook and Google support our website as well, by broadcasting some of our content across their social media networks—helping us to reach and remind new and recurring visitors of the various offerings.
What if I don’t want Eric Michael’s cookies? Most browsers have the option to stop a device from receiving specific cookies from being activated. If you choose to do so, bear in mind that our website may not operate properly for you and/or some services may be rendered unavailable.
What if I just don’t want targeted ads? You’re in luck! Facebook (and Instagram), Google, and the Digital Advertising Alliance make it easy to update settings and “do what you can” to opt out of data sharing and into richer privacy protection. There are also more readings available about cookies at All About Cookies [dot] org.
ABOUT CREDIT CARD INFORMATION:
Accepting credit and debit card payments online makes for a more accessible, convenient, and streamlined approach to collaboration. However, we understand that (now more than ever) giving out credit card information online can leave a person feeling a little exposed. That said, we only ever use PCI-compliant third parties to support the capture and processing of credit card transactions and we never (ever) see your credit card information.
REASONS FOR COLLECTING PERSONAL INFORMATION:
Eric Michael is not your Big Brother. We never collect personal information explicitly for the purposes of sharing, selling, or trading it. We only use your information for the following reasons:
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- → To personalize your browsing experience
- → To compose, fulfill, or enforce contractual obligations (clients, students, coaches)
- → To assist in user identification and account management
- → To monitor, improve, and test-drive new services and features
- → To prevent any/all misuse of our services
- → To better understand our audience of prospects and customers
- → To better understand how our audience is using the network
- → To allow you to contact us for personal follow-up
- → To allow you to pay for our services, packages, and other offerings
- → To allow you to participate in social sharing
- → To respond to personal inquiries
- → To fulfill orders and requests
- → To comply with law enforcement and other regulatory agencies
- → To communicate with you about new services and features
WHEN WE HAVE TO SHARE INFORMATION:
Sometimes we have to share personal information across various networks of people and technological platforms. Here is what that looks like and how it feels:
Agents and Representatives: We’re a proud, close-knit team of creatives that work together to drive creativity, innovation, and progress. However, sometimes, we need to back up and use other trusted providers (corporate and individual) to support our initiatives (“partners”). Whenever one of these partners is working for us, they are acting as our agents. Sometimes our agents need to access personal information to accomplish a particular task but nothing more.
Third-Party Software and Applications: Third-party software and other applications—like Gmail, MailChimp, Google Search Console & Analytics suite, Dropbox, Stripe, Jotform, Leadfeeder, MightyNetworks, and their integrated partners—help to make our user experience richer and jobs a whole lot easier. Some personal information may be shared, stored, and used in partnership with these applications.
New Ownership: In the very unlikely event (although it has to be said) that Eric Michael is involved in an acquisition, merger, reorganization, sale of major assets, or—god forbid—bankruptcy your information may be sold/transferred as a part of the transaction. We will give ample notice before there is a substantial change in ownership or any transfer of information occurs.
Law Enforcement: Personal information may be disclosed to law enforcement but only when we believe, in good faith, that the sharing of information is necessary to protect our business and community of customers and clients.
THE EMAIL POLICY:
Opt-in Emails: Eric Michael enjoys keeping customers, clients, and community members updated on the exciting things he’s working on. He does this through his blog, articles, social media channels, and opt-in emails. If you are receiving these types of emails, it means that you have consented to receive these emails either by clicking the opt-in box or by default in the new account creation process (remember how personal information is synchronized throughout the network). You’re free to unsubscribe, of course, simply by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any of the emails.
Mandatory Emails: Sometimes you won’t have the option to not hear from us. This only happens if an email contains important information for you such as new order or account status information, tech support replies, appointment confirmations, and the like.
PERSONAL INFORMATION RETENTION & YOUR RIGHTS
It’s important (if not critical) to let go every once in a while, purge and free yourself from the obsolete and outdated. That’s why we don’t hold onto your personal information too tightly. We conduct regular system rests and scrubbing (of inactive accounts and expired data). Don’t worry, we’ll always give you a heads up if information/accounts are expiring and you may always ask us:
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- → To share any/all personal information we may have on you
- → To correct any personal information that may have been collected
- → To remove your personal information from our servers and systems
- → To transfer your personal information to another service, if available
- → To stop using your personal information at any time
Requests may be made to us directly and we will always do our best to comply, within reason.
WHERE YOUR INFORMATION IS PROCESSED & STORED
Eric Michael is an American entrepreneur and is based in the United States, however, with his strong sense of adventure, might be caught working abroad. Respectfully, data is stored and processed in the United States but (at times) some of that information may be stored and processed overseas for accessibility purposes. We use third-party cloud storage systems to ensure internal accessibility and better security, decentralizing from a singular server. These third parties (like Dropbox and Google Drive) may store, process, or transfer data abroad.
THIRD-PARTY LIABILITY FOR SOFTWARE & APPS
We always do our homework and use the best research, practices, and efforts in employing the support of third-party applications, systems, and software. Security is our foremost priority (always), however, we are not liable for any breach of privacy or data security that occurs due to the fault of these third parties. You may consult earlier portions of this agreement for links to the specific third-party systems we rely on and their individual privacy practices.
KEEPING YOUR INFORMATION SAFE
Eric Michael has electronic, managerial, physical, and systemic procedures in place to help keep personal information safe and secure. Unfortunately in today’s world, no online system can guarantee the complete security of your personal information. Malware, viruses, and annoying system failures lurk around every corner—if personal information is compromised. You can support Eric Michael’s efforts in protecting your personal information by employing various identity and security cloaking software, limiting computer use, and using richer harder-to-guess passwords. In the unlikely event that your personal information is compromised to a security breach, on our end, we will be sure to notify you as soon as reasonably possible.
CHILDREN'S ONLINE PRIVACY AND PROTECTION:
None of Eric Michael’s content, coursework, or services are made or intended for audiences under the age of thirteen (13). As much as we admire the entrepreneurial tenacity of all the 0-12 year-olds out there, seeking a career in creative collaboration, we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under this age limit and delete this information as soon as we become aware of it. Users between the age of thirteen (13) and sixteen (16) must have parental permission before accessing or using our online services. Please note, if you live outside of the United States, even if you are older than thirteen (13), you may not be legally allowed to access our online services. Purchases must be made by someone eighteen (18) years of age or older.
POLICY CHANGES:
Change occurs every now and then and we must ride the ebbs and flows. That said, we may modify this Policy as our practices and procedures (and laws) develop and require us to do so. Take note of the date at the top of this page, it lets you know when this Policy was last revised. If we believe that a change we are making with have a deeper impact on the way we use your information (or the way you entrust or use our services) we will send you an email to alert you of such changes. All other minor changes to this Policy will be automatic and effective immediately, it is your responsibility as the user of the site to remain aware of the site and network’s practices.
By continuing to use our website and services, you allow us to use your information in the ways we have outlined and described in this policy.
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
All disputes concerning our privacy policy and practices are to be resolved in a “no blinking” competition - the last one to blink wins! If that does not suffice or is found to be unagreeable to both parties, by using our services, you agree to use independent mediation or arbitration services to attempt to settle the dispute before taking the matter to a formal court. All mediation and arbitration costs will be shared between us, except for attorney fees, which will be paid by the respective parties, individually.
CONTACTING ERIC MICHAEL
Wow. You did it! You made it to the end. In all seriousness, if there is ever anything that warrants clarification or if you have any questions or just wish to say hello drop us an email.
Payment Policies
THE BILLABLE RATES:
Projects are billed based on one of three hourly rates, determined solely by the expectations of the individual client: Standard or “long-lead” projects, those with a reasonably expected delivery date (usually within ten business days or more), are billed at the rate of $150 USD per-hour; On-Demand assignments, projects or tasks with a need for more immediate delivery (usually within five to ten business days), are billed at the rate of $225 USD per-hour; and ‘Rushed’ projects, or those with a delivery date of less than five business days, are billed at the rate of $300 USD per-hour.
Meeting, Communication, and Project Management time is billed at the discounted rate of $100 USD per-hour, unless otherwise stipulated with formal agreement.
THE BILLABLE PROCESS:
Clarity and continuity are the bedrock to a mutually beneficial professional relationship, this we know for sure. Eric Michael and his team of associates work diligently to ensure every request for work is met with the most accurate, fair, and transparent value assessment and collection practices possible.
Formal proposals and requests for work are served “flat-rate” value assessments. Eric Michael personally evaluates the needs of the organizations and expectations of the client to render a full, flat-rate scope of work with detailed turnaround times and value assessment. If accepted (“as-is”), flat-rate assessments do not change with respect to the delivery of the requested service.
One-off projects for existing clients are billed by-the-hour. Quotations are served to known clients whose expectations are clear but may not require a detailed scope. ‘Quoted’ projects are given a detailed description of task, time, and investment for review and acceptance by the client; billable hours are tracked and invoiced at the end of each month or the completion of work (whichever comes first).
BILLING SCHEDULES:
New clients, or existing clients requesting work valued at or above $5,000 USD, may expect an invoice immediately upon their acceptance of any/all scopes of work.
Hourly commitments (projects billed on-demand by-the-hour) plus any/all additional costs (including overtime) that have been added to a client account throughout the course of a calendar month are invoiced on/around the 1st of the following month. (For example, all of November’s hours arrive on December 1st.)
Clients who engage the studio for recurring service agreements and/or employ Eric Michael to maintain specific third-party licensing and services on their behalf are subject to automatic billing. No exceptions. More on that under ‘AutoPay’ below.
TERMS OF PAYMENT:
All sales are final.
Payment Requests and Invoices are due in-full upon request. No exceptions.
All New Client proposals (“Invitations to Collaborate”) and medium- to large-scale quotations and scopes of work (or those exceeding $5,000 in total assessed value) (for new or existing clients) are due in full, in advance of work. No exceptions.
Payment Requests and Invoices to existing clients who have accepted the Terms of AutoPay (during the new account registration process) are automatically processed via the payment method on file five (5) business days after receipt. Please consult any client-specific or Master Service Agreements for terms and conditions.
Late Fees:
Any Invoices or Requests for payment that do not qualify for AutoPay and are ignored or unsettled by the client for more than ten business days are subject to Late Fees at the rate of 2% of the invoice total. Late Fees are reapplied every five days, concurrently, until the total past-due amount is paid in full.
TERMS OF AUTOPAY:
If you engage Eric Michael & Associates to support you or your organization through regular and recurring services (such as through ‘Managed Digital’ services) and/or in the facilitation of third-party service licensing, or software procurement, you will need to agree to the AutoPay terms. These terms are served “as needed”, per-client account.
Automatic Payments (AutoPay) is how we circumvent risk and ensure a more effective and streamlined approach to collaboration. Simply put, accepting the terms of AutoPay grants Eric Michael the authority necessary to charge a client account for any/all cost of service covered via the payment method the client has on file.
AutoPay is about more than payment processing. It’s an all-encompassing system that relies on paperless billing, sensitive response times, and more. It’s highly encouraged that clients review these terms in advance of final acceptance.
PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS:
Eric Michael is committed to strengthening the faith and trust throughout his creative partnerships and nothing erodes those two values like sensing a lack of cooperation, this we know for sure. That’s why, from time to time (and solely at his discretion), clients may be welcomed to capitalize on the support of payment arrangements.
Payment Arrangements are considered to be any payment structure that allows for a significant balance (those that exceed the minimum threshold) to be divided up amongst more than one installment. Typical arrangements include an initial payment valued at 50% the total cost of service, as show of good faith, with remaining balances dispersed over the following weeks.
Payment Arrangements are subject to individual terms and conditions at the time of acceptance and the terms and conditions of AutoPay as it relates to payment processing. Please note, in an effort to mitigate risk, overall productivity will never anchor the schedule or overall arrangement towards the collection of payment.
VALUE-BASED PRICING:
Eric Michael uses value as a singular guidepost in measuring and assessing the financial return of his professional, strategic, and creative contributions to the entrepreneurial pursuits of his clients. This shows up and impacts client investment in a variety of ways:
New Client discovery and proposal is deeply-rooted in education and connection while we work ensure core value alignment before we begin any work together. You’ll take note of strategic messaging—’Total Value of Work’ instead of ‘Total Cost of Work’ on itemized scopes—and feel the impact of open-channel communication and negotiation.*
Existing Clients (with good standing): Propriartay self-valuation payment gateways support assessment and payment processing based on the self-perceived value of work. That’s right: clients pay what they wish.
Read more about the process here »
*This will get even richer once we implement the lessons and proven methodology of our earlier mentioned ‘pay what you wish’ gateway functionality into the new client and project acceptance workflow, later this year. In the meantime, rest assured that everything is open for discussion.
NOTE: Payment Requests using the ‘pay what you wish’ functionality are respected and treated the same as traditional Invoices. They are the result of client-requested quotation and client-approved commitments (time and suggested value). The time out on the same schedule and are automatically processed in the same fashion as outlined above.
This page outlines the expectations, processes, terms, and conditions as it relates to paying Eric Michael and his team of associates for work across the creative studio.
A WORD FROM ERIC MICHAEL:
There’s nothing I value more than the relationship I share with my clients (and it won’t take you long to understand why). I have come to consider trust and transparency to be the keystone of meaningful creative collaboration and the team and I ‘bring our all’ in this department, the best we can.
My steps are always mindful when billing clients and I believe our rates, processes, and terms to be both fair and equitable to all parties, given the nature of the work and its intention and impact across organizations and teams.
Please know that my door is always open. You’ll just as quickly find I’m committed to maintaining a conscious state of open and effective communication with clients at all times. If any number of my terms, conditions or individual efforts warrant reasoning or clarification, I encourage a steadfast address and dialogue.
