Gil,

"But you need to define who is a novice, when does he change into experience and when that changes into true excellence."

1) Novice: there arent any, by their own definition everyone is a specialist. However, if your achievement list is too short to get jobs as experienced, by the customers derfinition you are a novice.

2) Experience. To you it should be that how to do 80% or more of the project is CRYSTAL clear to you without looking to a book or 8052.com.

3) True excellence. That is when, after years of experience, you realize that you are not as good as you think you are and start putting effort into everything including the mundane.

"And also, who will decide that how many hours one has actually worked upon the project ??"
That will be you, and if any argument comes up 2 possibilities exist a) you are not 100% honest in which case GET OUT OF THIS PROFESSION or b) the customer is trying to squeeze. My reply is: if you can not trust me, we can not have a PROFESSIONAL relationshhip and we must terminate.

"In my opinion it should be a lump sum deal instead of man-hour basis."

An old switch and bait technique is to quote a nominal lump sum up front and hit the customer with horrendous bills for every change (they will happen) this is very dishonest. There is - to my knowledge - no one that can predict the effort to complete a project accurately. I have often done a job on a per hour basis while quoting a maximum amount. The customer always balk at the maximum amount but if you are a professional you MUST make the customer aware of what he is getting into.

I think that to be succesful in this business you need to have a good reputation for knowledge/performance and a STELLAR reputation for honesty.

Oh no, I'm editorializing again

Erik

PS one little experience:
Some years ago I quoted a customer $35/hour he balked and said he could get someone for half that. I replied that he could do that but when he called again it would be $70/hour. Six months later he called again - and paid