Hourly Rates
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- autonoma
So, say you charge $35/hr for web design. If you worked for 15 minutes on something, do you charge $35 for it? In other words, does the rate grow in $35 increments or do you actually break it down into percentages?
- js_0
always round up .... always
- pr20
i make way less than that...
- jking760
YES YES YES! well, if the client is an asshole, always. if you dig'em, you can give the "discount" and they'll love you for it!
- unknown0
I just got a gig working at home, nonetheless doing basic JS and HTML updates for $30 per hour and said up front to the contractees, that they must at least pay me for 10 days at 8 hours per day, therefore before taxes they owe my ass exactly $2400. Nice work if you can get it, totally random and lucky.
- jking760
you go girl!
- pr20
JasonX, it's porn isn't it?
- speedball0
1 hr minimums. Don't bill fractionals or your clients will nickel and dime you to death...especially at a lower rate like that.
- enobrev0
if it's a client you don't deal with much, i would say 4 hour minimums.
If it's a regular, 1 hour minimums should do well.
- clone0
get contracts and as much money as you can up front clients are worse than girls when it comes to lying and schedules
- dangerboy0
unless, you're all still students, you guys are getting ripped off.
$75/hour MINIMUM.
- snowtrooper0
im such a stinge these days i dont even get out of bed to answer the phone unless my regulars pay me a MINIMUM of an hour (£35), and even then i find myself dragging my feet if its a teensy job.
- surfito0
the cheaper you are the more they expect.
- i_loved_less0
I say this in every conversation about this on every board I see.
Be careful when discussing what people should charge. It is known as price fixing and it gets the governments in a huff enough that they'll want to regulate the industry. not fun.
- unknown0
Wow, ya'll have lots of ideas on how to treat clients. So I will throw mine at ya,
Treat your clients with respect, and they will keep coming back and hopefully refer you more work. I get 2 new clients calling me a month asking for work because I take care of them and don't nickel and dime them for stupid shit. Why would you charge a client an hour to make some some simple text changes to a site. Include that in the total design of the project. I add a couple hundred to the project to cover my time for simple updates for the year. And I tell them not to worry about it, its a simple change. They feel great because you are doing them a favor (which you already paid yourself for). Its all about CRM. I am amazed at how some companies treat their clients. Simply amazed at how they stay in business. I do this on the side and I still take better care of them.
Good luck
- miracola0
Joyride,
Depends on the client. Some clients I have are great people and minor text updates or images changes, etc are really all they need and that's no big deal. Then I have clients that have a f*^&%ing text change every day because they can't make up their minds what they want to say or haven't finalized everything with other parties involved before they contact me to make the changes. The latter get charged up the ass. If you let a client get away with minor little changes here and there, then word will spread about you and every client referred in the future may expect the same.
I know we have to survive and take the money when we can, but in my experience, if you don't make it clear to your client that they have to pay for every update (per update or through a maintenance package), then you'll get walked all over.
Besides, in my experience, even a minor update to a site takes me about a half hour to an hour. That's because I include the time that my client is talking to me about it. We all have different kinds of clients. I work a lot with musicians. Musicians need their frickin' hands held through the entire process, whether it be web design or design for print. Just chasing them done to supply text or photos is a huge pain and takes time. I bill for that time.
My motto is, if the client wants changes, minor or major and doesn't want to pay properly for them... give them the files and tell them to make the changes themselves. They'll quickly understand that it isn't as easy or as fast as they imagine.
- gravityroom0
"I do this on the side and I still take better care of them. "
Obviously you do this on the side because there's no way you'd be in business dealing with clients like that.
Free is free. There's a time and a place for giving something away, but leave that to pro-bono work and Christmas charities.
In my experience, even with my nicest and best clients - you give them a few freebees and they get real flattered like you said. Then they expect more. This is not the "loving you for it" you were talking about.
- i_loved_less0
look, if you know how to give something away, then you need to know how to draw your line. Just like when you get something for free, you have to know how to try for more.
business relations 101.
this isn't fantasy land.
- miraclemart0
It's less of a problem if the client doesn't know what he wants than if he'd be asking for something and changes his mind halfway throught the project..!
This is what I find the most difficult to deal with... doing the same thing twice and dealing with ignorant clients.
.mart
- A020
I charge different hourly rates depending on the client, but have a standard option:
1) An all-inclusive cost.
2) Hourly rate (2 hours minimum) that is broken down into 15 minute segments after the minimum is reached.
- unknown0
Thats why you have to be upfront and tell them a text change here and there is fine. But once they cross the .5 hour mark they will get charged. Thats how it should be, its business and its expected. But when my new clients tell me how their last developer charges a min. 1.5 hour at $150/hr for any change, it makes me laugh. And sooner or later you'll lose them as a client. As we all know people don't like to pay much for web work, so we should take care of the clients that do pay and make sure they at least come back.
And doing this on the side is my choice. I've done it full time and it doesn't pay crap. Doing this on the side pays my rent, car payment, insurance and living expenses. My salary goes into the bank and other investments for later in life. And it is a real business. Incorp. and all. And I've been in business for 2 years. And I've always treated my clients the same way. And I've never lost one yet. They respect what I do for them and understand that its a side gig.
All I'm saying is treat your clients well and they will keep paying you for a long time. Or you'll just lose them to someone whos a little cheaper.Good luck