best way to determine your..
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- OSFA
Freelance rate?
Is there a standard? Location, industry, per/project, client? How do you determine it?
- digdre0
lol
- monospaced0
I take these into account:
How much money I need to live on.
How much money the client going to make.
- OSFA0
no, seriously, i met a few designers this week and each one had a different approach. Some of them were ridiculous, but some made a lot of sense...
- OSFA0
what is your rate? and how do you come up with it?
- mg330
TEN FUCKING THOUSAND AN HOUR
- NotByHand0
It's hard to compare rates, as there are so many variables at play (like you mentioned yourself). If you talk to someone in your geographical area with comparable educational background and professional experiences, you can get a fairly decent idea.
- OSFA0
well, some of the guys I met mentioned they consider the type of exposure for the work/client? local, national, web...
Another point was the type of agency/client. You want to be paid fairly, but you also want to keep working with them...
Some had their specific rate, regarldless of the work, and it averaged to $75-90/hr. I know region might change this, but is this more or less a normal rate for the US?
- Meeklo0
Here is the real method.
Are you super busy? = You are not charging enough.
Don't have much work? = You are charging too much.
It has nothing to do with talent, location, age, experience or education.
my 2 cents.
- e-pill0
i determine my rate by the company itself, if their economic growth is high then im charging something equal to their earnings.
i have a pre-defined hourly/ weekly/ monthly fee but this doesnt hold if the company isnt strong enough to match my numbers.
there is always room for negotiation, the fee isnt set on one varible either. i want return clients, also i want them to want me, so i charge a very competitive rate, which allows me to be in control of my work flow and my clientelle base.
a lot also is based on your lifestyle and the environment you wish to keep and enjoy, so if you are liking life then always charge a fair yet very determined rate which you can accommodate your lifestyle.
- NotByHand0
^ @OSFA: Again, it REALLY varies. Being on 'the other side of the fence' often, I personally hate it when I sense somebody who I'm potentially offering work to getting over the top opportunistic (financially) because of it being a 'big name client'. I fully understand why folks tend to do this (ie getting a 'fair piece of the pie' in their estimation), but it quickly comes across as undeserved greed. My advice would be to find an hourly rate that generally feel good about independent of client - obviously with the flexibility to make exceptions (for non-profits f.ex.).
- ukit0
First, ask yourself what is the going rate for the type of work you are doing. Shouldn't be too hard to get a rough idea of what is considered typical.
Secondly, how good are you? Your portfolio and work experience provide you with credibility/ or lack thereof that will help determine your price.
Third, once the above is figured out, will the client pay that? You might want to make adjustments based on how much you want the work.
Those are the calculations I would use. I wouldn't get in to type of exposure or other overly technical questions because ultimately the point is to drive towards a desired price that I consider worthwhile, not complicate things by forcing a price that the client might not be happy with.
- _salisae_0
Just read this on another forum --- what do you think of this suggestion:
One rule of thumb is to estimate how many hours it'll take you, and then double it. I am NOT suggesting you double hours in an attempt to deceive your clients...I am suggesting it because at first you are very likely to be underselling yourself and underestimating the total time you will spend on the project (including paperwork, estimates, errands, invoicing, press checking, etc.) Also, write in the estimate that "any work beyond the scope outlined in this estimate will be discussed with client and an additional estimate for that work will be provided." The Graphic Artists Guild Handbook will have a better version of that copy.
If the client is unhappy with the bottom line cost, what you can do with the above estimate is reduce the price per hour, without reducing the time spent. This sends the message to the client about how valuable your time is, and that you are cutting them a break. Staying firm on the hours builds confidence in your client about the amount of work involved. If the client is *really* unhappy about the overall cost, slightly reducing your hourly rate for them is a way you can make them feel like they're getting the same effort and product, for less cost. Doubling your hours covers your butt until you get a healthy sense of how much time this particular client takes, as well as how much time this type of project takes in general. Definitely DO NOT tell your client you've doubled the hours. Also, by doing this, you won't be pissed off and bitter while you're on revision 12, when you already went over the hours by revision #6. This can really effect your enthusiasm about the project, in a not so great way.
If you come in under, offer to apply a few hours to another project, or tell them what a joy it was to work with them and how easy it was and would they like to continue working with you on another project? The next estimate will be more realistic and they will be happier. If you come in significantly under, no matter how much extra thought and effort you put into the project, you should tactfully let them know this and charge them less at invoicing time.
- dog_opus0
Lots of factors! The economic climate of your area, and rates of potential competitors; what's in your portfolio, and what are your references; what the range of publication will be for the design work, and who retains rights to the completed work; how flexible you can afford to be (heh, yeah, right), and what sort of budget the client is working with; etc., etc.
Consult the GAG Pricing and Ethical Guidelines Manual also.
- Oh yeah, don't forget the added fun of this brave new economy we're dealing with at the moment...dog_opus
- moamoa0
I think a main factor is how good you are, and also how you represent and sell yourself.
- ukit0
Yeah, I think how good you are...could be the most important factor. Something tells me fouty is not charging the same as Joshua Davis, even if they both a degree and 10 years experience.
- Josev0
Go to the Freelance Switch website an search for rate calculator.
I tried posting the links in this thread but got this error:"Response: Your request has been denied due to the nature of its content"
- _salisae_0
according to the freelance hourly rate calculator i need to be billing 20 dollars more per hour.
- 3point141590
Name: Jim
Job Title: Sr. Web Designer and partner
Location: Detroit, MI
Salary/Income: 190k/year and some company benefits- 190k a year
with 240 working days a year, 8 hours per day.... 190k/240*8= 98$ an hour
drgss
- 190k a year
- keming0
Speaking of this, how much would you guys charge to design a website homepage? Is it better to charge by project or hourly? I need to design one for a client, and I want to quote them a reasonable price for both parties.