What is a retainer?

A retainer is an agreement where a client pays (usually monthly) in advance for a dedicated amount of service hours of a company or freelancer. It differs from the usual ad hoc system, where the client will be quoted first and then pay individually for each project/ service as they go along.

Why opt for a retainer?

Many companies choose to sign up for a retainer with a service provider they use often. Of course there are times when this would not make sense: if you’re only going to be using the company for a once-off service, if the times you require a service are usually infrequent and spread out, or if the minimum retainer payment is simply more than you can afford. However, in most other cases the retainer option is worth it from an admin, service delivery and financial point of view. Here’s why:

• Retainers sometimes offer discounted rates. In some cases retainers will offer a discount on the hourly rate or provide services at a lower price as part of the deal. This means more value for money for your company.
• You’ll get better service as your projects are a top priority to the service provider. Getting a retainer promotes you to becoming an ‘elite’ customer. If projects and assignments start to pile up, you will still be getting great service and have your requests attended to first. Apart from that it helps to deal with one company for various services, so you have more continuity and don’t need to for example resend your logo and explain your services every time you want a new brochure printed.
• Retainers streamline and simplify payment admin. As retainers only require one monthly payment which is always the same amount, this should simplify the process for your financial staff. You can set up a debit order, always know the due date and there are no nasty surprises. Also the amount of red tape involved in getting approval for every small service would also be reduced.

• You won’t lose any retainer hours. If you’re worried about possibly not using all your designated hours in one month and having too few in the following one, our ARTribe retainer hours always roll over to the following month so you will never lose out.
• Retainers can be tailored to suit your budget and needs. Often the thought of having to fork out large amounts for an expensive retainer, especially if you are a small business starting out can seem daunting. If this is the case, just start small and get a retainer for the basics. You can always add more at a later stage or adjust the retainer to suit your need after a few months. We offer a wide range of customized retainers, starting from small social media packages, all the way to comprehensive plans including a whole range of services.

If you’d like to explore the option of getting a retainer with us for 2019 you’re welcome to contact us at info@artribe.co.za to see how we can help.