Fulltime Freelance / ATL
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- Buckyball2
My current job has gone from great promise to lost hope in a very short time. So, I'm seriously considering taking the plunge and going full time freelance in and around the Atlanta area. And I was hoping for 3 things from the NT community.
1. Advice/Suggestions
2. Leads/Offers
3. Links to design temp agencies with a good rep for quality placement.Thanks all. Life is about risk. Calculated ones at that. Just want to make sure I've got some solid leads before I leap. Might as will try while I don't have kids screaming for clean diapers. :-)
bB
- woodyBatts0
I'm f/t freelance, i would stack your career, e.g. have a part time job for fun that gives you a little extra $$$ during times that are slow
Also...
Have an accountant and a lawyer so you can get your bling bling from the IRS and non-paying clients
- Buckyball20
Thanks woody. Yeah I was going to ask as well. Is keeping up with your income a tax hell? Or not as bad as it seems?
- scransom0
You might want to check out "The business side of creativity" and the GAG handbook. (obviously)
For me, my first year of freelancing was just barely paying the bills. Lots of emailing samples and meeting anyone and everyone.
I did a 3 month probono project with a great design company and now the work from that has led to great things.
In the past few months I've made more than all of last year.
Another good book is Karlson WIliker's "Tell me Why:the first (12?24?) months of a design company"They used to work with sagmeister and a journalist goes over their highs and lows. It was very reassuring to me. You can have faults and still do really well. :)
- ********0
dB, good luck man. We're in pretty similar situations right now. Get those books that others mentioned, they are great.
- woodyBatts0
Taxes are definitly not that bad, you just have to pay them.
- Buckyball20
thanks all. and I'll look into those books this weekend. good reads.
- Oneburn0
my fulltime job involves working with gosmallbiz.com, which has affiliations with pre-paid legal. this may sound biased, but i'd be saying this even if i didn't work here.
i have a small business plan with pre-paid legal which allows me to send out unpaid bill requests and contract reviews by pre-paid attorneys. those alone are worth the small monthly subscription fee. also, gosmallbiz is a unrestricted resource, specifically for free forms and documents. it is a hidden secret, but if you'll go to http://www.gosmallbiz.com, click on legal, and then free forms and documents, you'll find some valuable things. best of luck to you.
- Buckyball20
One last question about this whole gig.
What is the average hourly rate you get for freelancing at an agency? I know it varies but I'm looking for ballpark numbers. One offered me $40-45 an hour. Where as if I did freelance on my own I charge $100 an hour.
Anyone like to chime in on how you go about that?
thanks
- ldww0
what is gag handbook, search on amazon returned nothing close.
- barbtastic0
taxes aren't that bad, you just have to pay quarterly. i have an accountant who saves me TONS with write-offs and deductions. he set me up with envelopes with the estimated amount to pay for each quarter [based on what i made last year]. i highly recommend paying for an account!
i am in ohio, i charge $50-100/hour depending on the work. production starts at 50 and concepting goes up to 100.
you might want to try these sites for networking and jobs
- ********0
I have 2 rates. One is my freelance and the other is for dedicated contract work with a minimum of 25 hours a week of work from that one client. I, personally, think its insane to ask a client thats basically hired you part-time or more to pay $85 or $100 an hour and I usually find that it works against you in landing the work in the first place. I usually knock it down by 50% since its consistent guaranteed work. I figure I make the discount back because its less time I have to spend searching for more freelance, contacting clients, having meetings, etc, etc.
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\\ (original post) \\One last question about this whole gig.
What is the average hourly rate you get for freelancing at an agency? I know it varies but I'm looking for ballpark numbers. One offered me $40-45 an hour. Where as if I did freelance on my own I charge $100 an hour.
Anyone like to chime in on how you go about that?
thanks
Buckyball2
(Mar 20 06, 08:42)
- kyl30
*raises rates
- barbtastic0
i agree, designaked. you have to keep the contract work in mind!
also...i wasn't very clear about WHERE i charge my rates. on location, at an agency, normally $50-75/hour, depending on the client. start high and then negotiate.
i keep things at about $75-100/hour when i am working on my own, from my office, where i am using my own equipment.
- jimeeboy510
about taxes, you don't have to pay quarterly. you can pay annually since the IRS looks at self-employed/indivudual priorietorship the same way. you can do either way.
$40-45 for production
around $60-80's for general design work DOE is the ballpark..but you should sometimes consider other rates for small business, new business discounts, corporate rates, and so on.another great jump start is googling things like how to freelance graphic designer and so on. theres some good topics on http://about.com (and all over the net ) too.
good luck.
- barbtastic0
interesting... i was charged $150 penalty by the IRS for not paying quarterly my first year.
- del_razor0
man.. i got out of that about a year ago.. i couldn't stand not knowing how much i'd be making from month to month..
i was working more on a project to project basis.. not steady income for me..
one month i'd be rolling in dough. but for the next 3 months i'd be scrambling to pick up a $500 logo design job or something..
good luck to you.. i ended up moving out of Atlanta just to find a stable job again..
seemed for a while there no one wanted to hire full time people, only contract basis..
(might i ask where you work?)
- Buckyball20
Great responses all. I figured as much on adjusting the rates. When I'm freelancing on my own I charge $100 an hour. But if it came to a contract with an agency, they would most likely not pay that. So the 1/2 rule is a good one.
I'll check in GAG for more info. I'm thinking this is gonna have to happen soon. Strike while the iron is hot as they say.
- jimeeboy510
interesting... i was charged $150 penalty by the IRS for not paying quarterly my first year.
barbtastic
(Mar 20 06, 12:07)well, i thats what i heard, but im not 100% sure. you might be right on this ...but i havent been penalized yet (knocks on wood).
- barbtastic0
i'm not claiming to actually for for sure... i'm just sayin i want my 150 bucks back if i am wrong!