LOL — I was just showing off my quick ability to go from annual to hourly (folks: there are apx. 2,000 hours in a year so the math is easy).
Did you bill your expenses or eat them? So far I have billed them but if I really needed to I have a magic number in mind that would cover expenses and still give me the income I want.
My industry is IT — implementing ERP (Payroll, Financials, HR, etc.) systems for very large clients: Fed Govt, State and local, $1B+ firms and the like.
I don’t bill like you do but I do well enough and don’t have all that wear and tear. But this is AFTER amassing 3 million air miles (all Continental North America) and 2000 hotel nights as a consultant for a Worldwide consultancy.
But I would not trade being my own boss (well, I report to Mrs. FD who majority stockholder and CEO) for ANYTHING! I should have done it 10 years ago!
“...Did you bill your expenses or eat them?...”
The per diem billing was to cover my living expenses. The mileage billing was to cover my vehicle expenses. Anything else, was usually shown as an expense on the annual tax return.
FWIW: I had set up an LLC and worked and billed thru it, rather than as a single individual. I had absolutely no time to keep up with anything other than what I was actually working on. I just made sure I kept all the receipts etc. and that they got forwarded to my wife who also worked thru the LLC as my records and bookkeeper. She would meet on a monthly basis with the tax attorney’s office to ensure that all was good, and that the right amount of quarterly estimated taxes were paid. I really never saw the numbers till the end of the year. When I saw em, I was always shocked by em....pretty disgusted actually. But hey, it’s still a great country and offers plenty of great opportunities to those willing to work hard for it. But takes a strong work ethic and using your head for something besides a hat rack.