How does pricing get determined?

Every project starts with a free discovery call. From that conversation, a fixed-price proposal is prepared that covers scope, deliverables, and timeline. There are no hourly rates and no open-ended billing.

What if my project is bigger or smaller than the ranges shown?

The ranges reflect typical engagement size. Smaller, focused projects can come in below the low end. Large or complex engagements may exceed the high end. Scope is always confirmed before any commitment.

Do I have to commit to ongoing work after an assessment?

No. An operations assessment is a standalone deliverable. Many clients use it to prioritize internal work or get stakeholder buy-in before deciding next steps. There is no pressure to continue.

How long does a typical project take?

Assessments typically take two to three weeks. Automation projects range from four to twelve weeks depending on scope. Advisory retainers are ongoing month-to-month with a 30-day cancellation notice.

What does "fractional" advisory mean in practice?

You get access to experienced technology leadership for a set number of hours or engagements per month — at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire. Most clients use it for monthly planning, vendor decisions, and on-call questions.

Can I start with an assessment and move into automation?

Yes — that is the most common path. The assessment identifies the highest-priority automation opportunities, and many clients move directly into implementation work from there.

Marhardt Consulting · Metro Detroit

Fixed-price consulting.No hourly guesswork.

Transparent pricing for Metro Detroit small businesses — know exactly what it costs before any work begins.

Your Path to Launch

From kickoff to live in less than 10 days.

Website & Online Presence · $100–$300/mo

One managed plan.Everything included.

Every piece below points at the same goal: more customers finding you, trusting you, and reaching out. Bought separately they are a stack of subscriptions you manage yourself — with us they are one plan we run for you.

Get found on Google Maps$50/moRank for what customers search$300–1,000/moTurn visitors into booked jobs$30–80/moWin more 5-star reviews$100–300/moA fast site that never goes down$45–75/moSecure, backed up & protected$60–210/moAlways fresh — we make the edits$75–150/moClear reporting on what works$20/moDomains, email & tech handled$15/mo

Pieced together elsewhere

$690+/mo

A stack of separate bills — plus the hours to set up, connect, and maintain it all fall on you.

The Marhardt way

$100–$300/mo

One plan, one price, fully managed — including the custom site build, with no upfront fee.

Typical market rates for comparable services purchased separately. Actual costs vary by provider and plan — the point is simply how quickly the pieces add up.

WordPress vs. Wix vs. Marhardt

Same website. Very different price and quality.

WordPress is powerful but hands you every update, patch, and outage. Wix is cheap but leaves you as the designer, SEO team, and support desk. We do it all for you — one predictable monthly price.

WordPress

Wix

MarhardtRecommended

Who builds & manages it

You, or a developer you hire

You

We do — fully managed

Hosting, security & backups

Your responsibility

Included, locked to Wix

Managed, monitored, backed up

Local SEO & Google presence

DIY plugins or a separate agency

Basic tools, limited

Included and ongoing

Reviews & reputation

Not included

Add-on apps

Generated & managed for you

Design quality

Depends on your theme / developer

Template-based, DIY

Custom-designed for your business

Ongoing edits

You, or $75–$150/hr developer

You

Just ask — we handle them

Support

Forums / whoever you hire

Generic ticket support

Direct, local, Metro Detroit

What you pay

$30–$100+/mo+ $2k–5k to build

$17–$59/mo+ your time

$100–$300/mobuild included

The cheapest option is rarely the least expensive once your time is on the invoice.

Grow My Presence

Transparent Pricing

Fixed-price engagements.No hourly surprises.

Every engagement is scoped and priced upfront. Ranges reflect real project variation — scope is confirmed before any work begins so there are no surprises.

Website & Online Presence

$100 – $300/ month

Website design and website maintenance services in one monthly plan — a sleek, fast site with functional workflows, plus the hosting, updates, and search work that keep it earning. We design, host, and continually optimize so customers find you, trust you, and reach out.

Sleek custom website with functional workflows
Google Business Profile optimization
Local SEO and Google Search visibility
Review generation and reputation management
Website maintenance: managed hosting, security, and updates
Ongoing content edits and performance tuning

See what it solves →Grow My Presence

Business Health Check

$750 – $3,000

A structured review of your current operations — where time is wasted, where work is duplicated, and where the biggest improvement opportunities are. You receive a prioritized action plan with clear ROI estimates.

On-site or remote workflow review
Bottleneck and inefficiency mapping
Prioritized improvement roadmap
ROI estimates for top recommendations
Plain-language written report
One-hour debrief and Q&A session

See what it solves →Book an Assessment

Workflow Automation

$1,500 – $15,000

End-to-end design and implementation of a workflow automation that eliminates manual, repetitive work from your business. Scope and price vary based on complexity — most projects land between $3,000 and $10,000.

Requirements and process documentation
Custom automation design and build
System integration and testing
Team training and handoff
Documentation for ongoing use
30-day post-launch support

See what it solves →Discuss Your Project

Fractional CTO

$1,500 – $5,000/ month

Ongoing access to senior technology leadership — for businesses that need consistent guidance without the overhead of a full-time hire. Retainer scope is scoped to your needs.

Monthly strategy and planning sessions
Vendor evaluations and recommendations
Technology roadmap maintenance
On-call advisory access
Meeting attendance as needed
Written recommendations and documentation

See what it solves →Start the Conversation

Team Productivity Workshop

$1,000 – $5,000/ session

A focused, hands-on workshop for your team covering practical strategies to reduce busywork, improve output, and operate more efficiently. Customized to your industry and business context.

Custom curriculum for your team
In-person or virtual delivery
Hands-on exercises and real examples
Team workbook and reference materials
Follow-up Q&A session
Implementation checklist

See what it solves →Book a Workshop

Custom App Build

$3,000 – $7,500

Scoped web application development for entrepreneurs and platform founders — from discovery through a working product you can put in front of users. Fixed price with 50% upfront and 50% on delivery.

Discovery and scope definition
Full-stack product architecture and build
Core features implemented end to end
Testing, deployment, and handoff
Documentation for ongoing operation
50% upfront · 50% on delivery

See what it solves →Discuss Your Prototype

Custom Business Software

Custom — scoped per project

Custom dashboards, reporting tools, knowledge bases, and internal portals built around how your business actually runs. Scope and price are defined per project after a short discovery.

Discovery of how your team works today
Custom dashboards and reporting
Centralized SOPs and knowledge base
Internal portal / tooling as needed
Team training and handoff
Scoped and quoted before any build

See what it solves →Scope My Build

All projects are scoped and quoted before work begins. Discovery calls are always free.

Common questions

Ready to talk through your situation? Discovery is always free.

Book a 30-minute call. We will listen to where your business is today and recommend the right starting point — no pitch, no pressure.

Book a Free Call View Services

★ 5.0 on Google · Free discovery call · We reply within one business day