We became involved in a professional P.A. project through one of our residential customers. The customer wants us to travel overseas for training on how to use these portable systems. This will require 4 days travel time (2 days each way) and 3 days training at 3 different locations. The customer is paying for and arranging all travel expenses. My question is how do we charge for our time. Is the travel time and non-working time billed at some percentage of our normal hourly service rate. We are a small company and losing someone for a week is a big hardship so I was thinking about doubling our normal rate. Anybody have any ideas.

This time of year, I would PAY to get out of Indiana for a week (I live in Kansas, its cold here too!) if he's sending you someplace warm!

In reality, if your not selling product, just billing for labor, your losing money.
If this is a market your getting into, and will be selling this line, and someone else wants to pay for your training, by all means, take him up on it!

If it's a 'one shot deal', I think you would have to charge more for 'labor' to compensate for lost revenue. It may be tough to justify this to the client; charging more than your standard labor rate while your 'sitting on your rear' on HIS traveling expense. But , if he's a business man, obviously doing well, he should understand the concept. He just might not like it,though.

Most well to do business men got that way by taking any 'advantage' they could to prosper.

I think it would be 'bad business' for you to lose money trying to make this client happy in this sense.

He offered you an excellent chance to travel and learn for free!

Sounds great until you balance the books at the end of the month.

I'll have to leave this one up to you. Not sure what I would do. I guess it all depends on how much extra cash you've got on the books as to wether or not you can 'afford' to take him up on his 'kindness'.

How much would this one employee bring into you to you during this week. If he able to provide x dollars of profit. If so charge your customer at least the amount of your employees hourly wage(during that week) + the amount he would make you in a week. Add a little extra to cover for all your other expenses in workers comp etc. Find out who is covering him if something happens overseas. Better to be safe aheead of time.

Just my thoughts

What PA requires training overseas??
Is it not supported here?

Thats probably the best question of the day!

What exactly are you dealing with?

I've setup more clubs than I care to admit, and I never had to go very far to make it work!
Just curious.

I apparently wasn't clear. They want us to train their employees on 3 systems we are selling them and being used overseas. There may be future business we can gain from this and of course the relationship would have become important. We do not feel that it is that necessary since they have a technical person on their payroll and it is not that complicated to boot. It is not in a nice place at all...in fact it is downright scary but I need to come up with a price anyway.

I'm still trying to figure out what part of earth takes two travel days to get to by plane. I thought the longest route was about 23 hours or so.

And if there is another day driving afterwards...what kind of company, away from civilization, would warrant "that" kind of money in a area that doesn't have a major airport nearby?

Hmmmm - it took a coworker 36 hours to get to Australia. Given that he's saying it's not a nice place... I'm guessing someplace that we're currently involved in conflict...

I will be honest, don't care for pics (what will I be able to tell on my 19" PC monitor)

I think you guys are reading too much into this

" not a nice place" can mean anything when compared to "This time of year, I would PAY to get out of Indiana for a week (I live in Kansas, its cold here too!) if he's sending you someplace warm!"

I used to work for a metal company and did some traveling, if I were to judge I would probably say most of my trips were not in nice places for the simple reason that even though some were here in Canada and the US, they were always a bit more out of the way then I am used to. So yes going to a conference in New Orleans was fun, but driving down to Oswego NY or driving up to Shawinigan QC were not. And the weather was never warmer. :-)

as to the days traveling, it all depends on the remoteness of a location more then distance. it is considered 2 days travel from Montreal to Kitimat BC Canada, but that is because there is no direct flight and you need to stay in Vancouver over night.
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As to your answer not that easy. I guess the first question is how will you pay your employee that you will send, I would also look at the schedule and see if he will need a day of rest when he comes back. So factor labour costs, some expenses (is food in there...) , factor in lost revenues, and possibly a bit more. If you think this sounds good and there are future possibilities, don't try and over do it

Thats funny, it took me about 20hrs and I live on the opposite side of the planet.

Plane must've gone the wrong way.

Drug dealers and terrorists need discos too. Bill 4 times plus 2 of the bosses bodyguards and a nice armoured vehicle. Not a bad idea to get the money up front too. Gives them the incentive to keep you alive at least till the projects are done.

Adventures are fun but I think you should keep in mind the typical mortality rate of a nobody in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Milwaukee --> Chicago --> LA --> New Zealand --> Australia = 36 hours

There are quicker ways to get to Aus. Maybe he is going to Afganistan or somewhere that it takes about 12 hours by plane and another 18 hours on the old camel! Maybe setting up a nightclub in a cave