One of our salespeople wants me to do some graphic design for a side business that she has. How do you charge for freelance work that you do? Do you charge an hourly fee or what?
I always have a hard time figuring out what to charge and tend to lean toward charging too little I think. :undecided:
Rat, we discussed this in great detail in DCS' thread about tutoring (kind of falls in the same area?). Like you, I charge way too low...but sometimes that's based on the relationship with the client and your own personal expenses or value of your worth/skills. Personally, if I were to do a side job for a coworker or a "friend of a friend" deal I'd probably charge $20/hour or just come up with a fee for the whole job all inclusive. Make sure you know what you're getting into.
Thanks gnub, I'll check out that thread. :cool:
I would charge at least 2X what your hourly rate at work is. I charge 2.5X for design because there is more to it than production work. If the work is for a company that is going to give me a 1099, then I charge 3X because of the taxes I'll have to pay on it.
I like Dan's method, covers you financially when taxes get involved and that's what ends up eating your ass. I keep it basic... What I make in OT. Most customers do not prefer an hourly rate, and would much rather have a final cost up front. I figure out what I think it will take, and multiply it by 2 adding in Murphy's Law & Chaos Theory.
Thanks for the advice guys. I think she would crap if I told her what the 2x my hourly rate fee would be. :shocked:
Quote from: ratintrap on July 09, 2009, 08:00:33 AMThanks for the advice guys. I think she would crap if I told her what the 2x my hourly rate fee would be. :shocked:
I had a girl ask me to show her how to use a Mac in general and Quark specifically and she asked what I would charge. When I told her $50 an hour I practically had to revive her with smelling salt. She said she would pay $8 an hour. :shocked: I wonder if she found anyone yet?
Joe, I've dealt with clients like that at work. At one shop we had a $15 minimum charge for design work (eg: unarchiving an old job and making changes) and the hourly rate was $45. I will never forget one woman who bitched about this every time she wanted changes made to her stupid flyers and said she "shouldn't have to pay" each time she wanted to make changes.
In the past I've told clients just how expensive the computer equipment and software is (actual $ amounts) just to shut them up and justify why we charged what we charged.
Quote from: gnubler on July 09, 2009, 08:30:20 AMJoe, I've dealt with clients like that at work. At one shop we had a $15 minimum charge for design work (eg: unarchiving an old job and making changes) and the hourly rate was $45. I will never forget one woman who bitched about this every time she wanted changes made to her stupid flyers and said she "shouldn't have to pay" each time she wanted to make changes.
In the past I've told clients just how expensive the computer equipment and software is (actual $ amounts) just to shut them up and justify why we charged what we charged.
You get your car worked on and when they hand you the bill do you get all shitty?
No most people just fork it over, why are people so tight when it comes to printing?
It's mainly what you feel comfortable with. If it's a friend, I might do it for free, or even charge WAY below what I usually would. If it's a SalesPuke, I stick it to 'em. A new customer... that really depends on the extent of the project.
Quote from: ratintrap on July 09, 2009, 08:00:33 AMThanks for the advice guys. I think she would crap if I told her what the 2x my hourly rate fee would be. :shocked:
That's why you don't quote an hourly fee - that's why DCS's method of estimating beforehand works very well. I do that, too, although I don't double it (I do pad it a bit to allow for alts.)
If you are doing it for a friend and want to give her a break, you can always say "My normal fee for something like this is $XX, but since you are a friend I can do it for $X." That way they know they are getting a deal. Be warned, though - these are often the most frustrating clients who will make change after change after change and won't actually read the copy they give you until the 3rd revision and then they'll notice their own phone number is wrong or something like that.
I always tell clients that if they really want to keep their costs low, then have everyone who needs to approve copy proofread the copy BEFORE giving it to me. Minor changes and reworking designs are one thing, but rewriting entire paragraphs at the design stage is completely avoidable and CHARGEABLE. Of course, everyone I've ever told that to nods their head and says "Yeah, I'll be sure to do that" and then they don't.
Great advice Dan. Padding for changes is essential. ESPECIALLY if they are friends. :laugh:
I know this sounds prejudice, but I follow this to the letter and it has served me well... NEVER do work for Politicians or Preachers. If I do, I charge them so much they either pay it, or balk. But, I am gonna get something out of having to deal with such clientele. The absolute worst!
Quote from: DCurry on July 09, 2009, 09:44:37 AMBe warned, though - these are often the most frustrating clients who will make change after change after change and won't actually read the copy they give you until the 3rd revision and then they'll notice their own phone number is wrong or something like that.
I've dealt with that kind of person before. You give them a cut rate and they want the world handed to them on a platter.
:blowup:
I do not charge money to friends. It only gets weird. Work for trade, some beer, a dinner out - cool. I've also scored $50 gift cards and surprise gifts after doing work for friends...works out better than talking about money.
I think this could get quite involved though.
Hourly rates are so funny. I tell people $20 per hour if you want me to work slow, $150 per hour if you want me to work fast! Actually I try to get the client to accept a total dollar amount for the job instead of an hourly rate. I explain to them that is the only way to compare apples to apples when looking at quotes. Supplier A may be very well versed in all the software and have the latest equipment. Supplier B has an old PC with Ragemaker and don't know chit. Supplier A could charge $150 per hour and Supplier B charges $15 per hour. At the end of the project it may still be cheaper to use Supplier A.
Yes, it sounds like estimating the time and coming up with a fee up front seems like the way to go.
well now - very interesting
err right - k two people i know "very well" once ran their own company as a side thing - lets call them...two people in the trade - who have now split up...
anyhoo - these people did 2 large projects for my friends - err THEIR friends, and both times charged a hour by hour rate, and both times was a resounding success - a lot of the time it depends on how professional your friends are
so we they all agreed about supplying stuff like images as a digital file from photographer - which i they made good and corrected on screen, and text was supplied as a word file read straight in
sure - there were changes but at each stage we they gave an up to date inventory of whats been done, and costs - we they just agreed a certain limit before "credit" ran out which was documented anyway
and we they made a nice profit which the ex someone took and i my friends didnt get a damm penny - so work for friends yes - but do it for yourself!
I think, it is according to the work done.
Quote from: johnhodges on April 30, 2011, 12:06:07 AMI think, it is according to the work done.
Guess you don't work in prepress.
LOL. :laugh: Quote o' the morning!
First post of the morning I think as well.
'Tis a bit dead here and the Mac crashed twice in a half an hour. Time for my applejacks.