Ludkin Consulting

1. Why hire a Technical Writer?

 

Your business is one of many, competing for the same clients and offering similar products. We understand that you have greater priorities as an organisation than ensuring your Microsoft Word picks up all your spelling and grammar mistakes.
 
Documentation is the bug-bear of all entities, it is a necessary evil for historical and legal purposes but also provides clarity into the future for planning and guidance. We can’t do what you do but we can take control of this requirement and allow you to put all your energy into what matters – running your business and running it well!
 
“Contracting a Technical Writer gives your business the competitive advantage and sets you up for greater efficiency in the future”
 
2. What’s so great about Technical Writing?

We have often been referred to as a glorified assistant, or receptionist – someone who takes care of all the paperwork to ensure the business runs as hassle and red tape free as possible. Although the truth is, we do this every day for all kinds of organisations in all fields of expertise, we know what everyone else is doing and we understand what methodologies have proven successful with their respective clients. Our styles have adapted and evolved with the market, and in an increasingly multi-cultural society entrenched in globalisation and the age of information technology; correct communication has never been so important.
 
3. Why don’t you have an office?

Technical Writing may be an art form practiced ad nauseam, and only carried out by those individuals who love nothing more than identifying every single flaw, no matter how small or inconspicuous. We may obsess over the most irrelevant font, format and editing styles – but we are business savvy. Ludkin Consulting knows that businesses require speed and flexibility, which is why our staff can work anywhere at any time at the shortest of notice. This requirement allows us to save on overhead and structural costs and because our work is completed purely on-line it also allows us to reach a greater number of clients – all over the country. These savings inevitably filter down to you. We don’t need to charge more to cover rent, electricity and water.
 
"Well, I'll hazard I can do more damage on my laptop sitting in my pyjamas before my first cup of Earl Grey than you can do in a year in the field."
 
4. So how do I know you’re even real and not a Nigerian Princess?

Obviously having a ‘front office’ has some perks, like a physical sign that says ‘I’m real!’ But the question is, how do clients often request a service? Via Email or telephone. Who has enough time to leave work, drive to a front office and enquire as to what services are provided? So we’ve cut out the middle man! We also understand that communication is paramount and sometimes email, skype and phone just isn’t enough – you might need that personal touch; which is why we physically meet all of our clients – no matter where in Australia you are situated and at no extra cost to you (because we saved on rent!). We will endeavour to meet with you regularly for meetings, discussions, performance reviews and even just for a simple coffee to maintain familiarity.
 
5. What is the process?

It’s easy! Once you’ve discussed with us over the phone or via email what you would like, and we have let you know what we can offer – if you feel good about it we will become your Technical Writers, just like a job interview. What this means is that we will visit your office or meet you where ever you would like and outline our requirements to ensure you get the best possible service. We meet with the specialists who created your current documents suite (the Subject Matter Experts), we learn their job and what your business is trying to achieve. We edit or create a new an improved version and offer it up for a review with your SME’s (whom check it is technically correct) and then check with you or management to ensure it visually pleasing. Once a particular format is agreed upon we will edit every other document you have to be consistent with the original.
 
“The greatest reward of hiring a Technical Writer is the consistency they bring and the efficiency that follows.”
 
6. What about your costs?

Our specialists can charge between $57 - $87 an hour. If we are required on site, pricing will usually be at the higher end of the spectrum. Although, as this is rarely the case and we provide so much flexibility not only to our clients (you) but also to our staff - we also understand that ’out of site and out of mind’ should not also equal ‘out of pocket’. We understand that not being onsite can be construed as a risk and we therefore charge at a much lower rate for contract work in comparison with fulltime/permanent rolls.
 
Because of the flexibility our staff enjoy, they can often take on much more work which covers for the financial constraints they face by our company charging lower than competitors. Our fees are based entirely on the size of the documentation suite you are looking at upgrading or creating, how much technical information is already present and how long the contract would be for. We will negotiate with you what we believe a fair price would be, but this often ranges between: $55-$87 an hour. To top it off, all of your documents will be viewed and edited by more than one of our staff to ensure perfection. This ‘second set of eyes’ is completely free and is a part of Ludkin Consulting’s internal Quality Assurance requirements. We understand that if our work isn’t good enough,  we will stop getting work altogether.