I have been a consulting mycologist for 10 years. Most business comes
from pharmaceutical cleanrooms and sick building problems. I feel
uncomfortable telling you what my price structure is, but $20 is
a HUGE undersell of your talents and abilities. I try to scale the
price depending on the customer. I charge much, much more for legal
types of things, because I know they will pay willingly. I charge
much, much less for university-types, because I know they can't pay
a lot and I want their return-business. I won't touch anything for
under $50.00 handling fee and prices go up for taxonomy. I charge
extra for traditionally difficult taxonomic groups (Penicillium, for
example). I also charge nothing if I cannot deliver. The key is
the customer, give the customer what they want. And by all means
be professional, but don't necessarily be Academic about it. A
report doesn't need to be full of bibliographic references: a
report needs to have factual information that is in a useful format
to the non-professional. If you can't deliver a readable report, you
won't get return business.
If I tell you any more, I would have to charge you for the service ;)
-Steven E. Carpenter, Ph.D.
Cascade Research Associates
& Abbey Lane Laboratory
microbe at peak.org
