What should a monthly retainer include?
A retainer says four things: a fixed amount of work each month, how quickly you answer, what isn’t included, and how a pause works. Without the first, a retainer turns into unlimited work for a fixed fee. Without the last, a client who needs a month off stops instead.
- 1
A fixed amount
Two sessions and notes, one held slot, or a number of days. The coaching setup starts with 2 sessions + notes for $480 a month; the consulting one with a standing monthly slot for $300.
- 2
A response time
Within a working day, or by the end of the week. Say which, so a message on a Sunday isn’t an emergency.
- 3
What isn’t included
A new project, a launch, a second person’s time. Name it, and give it its own price.
- 4
How a pause works
A month off without ending it. A retainer with no pause loses the client who only needed a break.
On WorkWith, a client can pause a monthly retainer for a month from their own page, and nothing is charged until it picks up again by itself.
Checked 2026-10-11.