Call it a “code of ethics,” “best business practices,” “policies and principles” – or whatever you like. What it all boils down to is one word – honesty.
 
What this means for our clients
You get a fair deal. We make a genuine effort to give you more than you expect to receive – and whenever possible, we try to bill you less than you expect to pay. We recognize that tight schedules are not always the result of bad planning and therefore try to accommodate your needs in every way possible. And our time sheets are open to inspection at any time.

But we expect to be treated fairly, too. Don't force us to work nights and weekends just to impress your boss. Don't pester us for discounts after we've agreed on the price and scope of a project. And if there's a problem, don't tell someone else – tell us directly.

What this means for our business partners
Our client policies hold true for our business partners, too. But there's more you should know.

We will never steal your clients. If they contact us directly, we'll refer them back to you. We will only work directly with your clients with your knowledge and expressed approval. Moreover, if a mutual client fires you and contacts us directly within a six-month period, we will not accept any work without consulting you first.

In the unlikely event that two of our business partners pitch the same client, the partner who introduces us has first priority. Any new-business presentation that we attend in person has priority over any other presentation by any partner. Moreover, after we have met with a potential client, a competing business partner may not use their association with FatDUX to leverage their competitive position.

The easiest way to avoid these kinds of conflicts is to state your intentions as early as possible.

What this means for our associates
Even though FatDUX is founded on the networking principle, we expect everyone we deal with to treat us with the same honesty and respect we show them. If not, we will terminate our relationship. And we have the memory of an elephant.

Kickbacks and other nonsense
We don't accept kickbacks. Basta. We recognize, however, that when working as a subcontractor to an advertising agency or IT integrator, our invoices are usually subject to an administrative surcharge. And when folks subcontract to us, we add an administrative surcharge to our bills, too. In special cases where it is more practical for FatDUX to bill an agency client directly – workshops and seminars, for example – an agency may be entitled to a small administrative fee, but only if our primary role in the business relationship remains that of a subcontractor.

We have close personal contacts with many software developers and hardware vendors, and may sit on various Boards. However, we remain 100% vendor neutral. And that means the No Kickback Rule remains 100% in effect.

Any questions? Just ask us

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