A proposed separate, flat-fee engagement to capture Doodlers' ~$250k state grant for popcorn-related initiatives. Rather than absorbing popcorn work into the existing $10k/mo retainer, the proposal creates a clean, separately invoiced project that Doodlers can submit directly for grant reimbursement — freeing the remaining grant funds for product, packaging, and shipping costs.
The proposal was discussed during the [1] and was ~80% drafted at that time. Karly was assigned to finalize and present it to the client.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fee | $4,000/month, flat |
| Billing | Separate invoice from existing retainer; labeled "Popcorn Project" throughout for easy grant reimbursement |
| Ad spend overrides | None — flat fee only |
| Term | Not yet defined; tied to grant availability |
All popcorn-related brands and initiatives, kept separate from Doodlers' grain/cornmeal work:
Third-party creative work (e.g., Jen's bag design for Popped Popcorn) can also be invoiced against the grant separately by the client.
Doodlers are already paying ~$10k/mo on their existing retainer. Folding popcorn-specific work into that agreement creates invoicing complexity and makes grant reimbursement difficult. A standalone, clearly labeled invoice simplifies the paper trail for the state grant administrator.
Working from an estimated grant total of ~$225,000:
At $3,000/mo the math still works, but $4,000 was judged appropriate given the scope and the fact that this is grant money — not out-of-pocket client spend.
"We probably could charge them $4,000 a month and they wouldn't care." — Mark Hope
Doodlers are happy with Asymmetric's work (Amazon is their only meaningful revenue channel at ~$126k/mo). Because the grant funds are state money rather than personal cash, price sensitivity is expected to be low.