Resources

Guides worth an hour of anyone’s time.

Practical, plain-English guides for the people on both sides of a blue lemons conversation, where experts price and share their experience, and clients getting the most from it.

For experts

How your hourly fee works (and how to set it)

What clients pay, what you keep, and a sensible way to arrive at a number for twenty-five years of experience.

4 min read →For clients & experts

How to make the most of your hour

Whether the hour is worth many times its price, or just a pleasant conversation, comes down to preparation and honesty. Advice for each side of the call.

5 min read →For experts

Becoming an expert: the tax basics (UK)

Advisory income counts as self-employed income. The thresholds, deadlines and habits that keep it painless, in plain English.

5 min read →For clients & experts

VAT, in plain English

Whether there's VAT on a blue lemons call, and what experts need to know about their own.

3 min read →For experts

Marketing your expertise (without feeling like a salesperson)

You don't need a personal brand. Your early bookings come from people who already trust you, once they find out you're available.

4 min read →For clients

The case for advice from someone who's done it

Why an hour with a practitioner is worth more than a month of research, and how to know when it's time to book one.

4 min read →For experts

Preparing for your first advisory call as a new expert

The first paid call makes nearly everyone nervous. A settling-in briefing: setup, a shape for the hour, and four permissions in writing.

4 min read →For clients

How to write a brief that gets you the right expert

Five sentences, real numbers and the honest version of your situation. Ten minutes of writing that changes the whole hour.

4 min read →For clients

How blue lemons vets its experts

Every expert in the directory has been interviewed by a founder and reference-checked before listing. The process, in full.

4 min read →For clients

How to get a blue lemons call approved by procurement

The call is booked and worth every penny, then procurement stalls it. A short, practical guide to moving a small advisory expense through a system built for big contracts.

5 min read →