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<p>Sure, the folks who stiff you! :)</p>
<p>But seriously, I’ve thought about it, and it seems to me that in businesses that generate revenue by charging for services piecemeal or by time spent have a tendency to put pressure on margins, particularly if overhead is high.</p>
<p>Whenever I’ve gone to a doctor’s office, I have waited in a waiting area and then in an examination room, and the doctor pops in and out. It seems like the emphasis is on moving a large volume of patients throught the office. Economically, this makes sense since (i would think) that the doctor’s revenue is roughly proportional to the number of patients that are seen.</p>
<p>It seems to me that with such a business model, if the doctor takes a leisurely approach to things and also does some pro bono work, if these things use up 10% of his working time, it may reduce his revenue by close to 10% and his profit even more. </p>
<p>I think that many law firms are in a similar situation. Even though big firms are incredibly profitable, there is intense pressure on associates to bill hours.</p>
<p>I realize this isn’t quite what I said before.</p>