Freelancing Rates
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- desmo
I have been freelancing with a company over the entire summer (and is still on going) and my rate has been set at 60/hr. Everything has been fine, except now that hours are starting to add up, they want to develop some sort of reduced rate when hours get to high or items of work are repeated (grunt work, which obviously adds up). Is this sort of thing done?
Ive always been under the impression that as long as they give work, when paid hourly, its always at the agreed rate regardless of how many hours add up.
- satogami0
charge a day rate, figure out a happy medium for both of you and re-negotiate that instead of the hourly. in the long term it will be easier for you to manage your time and your hours and your earnings.
- jimbojones0
that's the usual practice, nobody is going to pay you for a month based on your hourly rate. that's why people have hourly/weekly/monthly rates
- no it's not the usual practice, and yes people do pay your hourly rate.max_prophet
- brandelec0
i usually give clients a separate rate for 'grunt' work.. so if let's say i have to update a template or anything that doesn;t really fall under creative or development, i give them an estimate for those hours x grunt work rate
- brandelec0
^ but i agree with day/week rates
- desmo0
true. i need a day rate.
my hours during the summer has been off and on. but in sept, have been putting in more solid day's work.
- gramme0
Good points made above about day/month rates. I have a standard rate that's cheaper per hour for mindless updates or production work.
- PonyBoy0
day rates are great... just make sure they guarantee so many days / weeks etc - it's gotta be worth your time in the end...
...and then there's the flip-side...
... missing out on another well-paying hourly client because you're stuck on some shitty day rate that's just dragging on and on and on because you didn't call out a stop date can leave you rather unhappy.I prefer to avoid the day rate 'jobs' now - being 'owned' sucks... I prefer per-project payment or hourly before the date-rape... er day rate. ;)
- gramme0
Unless you're doing an out-of-town photo shoot or press check, I think day rates are the line in the sand between freelancers and sole proprietors, besides the technical details of tax status.
- kld0
ask yourself, "while I'm doing this grunt work at x% of my rate, could I be doing full rate work?" if so, don't do the reduced rate work or do it at your regular rate.
- cannonball19780
don't do a day rate or you find yourself working till midnight
- harlequino0
^If you get pushed to a 'working till midnight' situation, it would probably imply a rush job anyway. You'll want to recoop that time, so consider setting up a rush fee. Like time and half for rush jobs, for example.
- steven_segal0
Yea, I currently do $60 hourly rate too. I usually give an hourly estimate and get that half up front. Im still kinda new at this business side of things, so Im sure there are factors I need to account for.
- max_prophet0
Don't reduce your rates, afterall, it's not like they're going to start paying offering you some paid holiday time or putting money into a pension for you is it?
They're using you as a freelancer because there is benefits to them, you're a mug of you let them milk it.
- wordsinyourmouth30
85 / hr
- vaxorcist0
Hmm.... I suggest you try to appear reasonable, even if you're sticking to your rate no matter what... Somebody on the client side is feeling cost pressure, and you've got to somehow make them relax a bit, otherwise odd things may happen soon that mess up the business relationship....
The trick is to find a win-win or at least a way to be reasonable without giving up a principle.... for example,, make it clear that you've both got businesses to run, you respect their need to make a profit, you're not out to gouge them.... and if you're brought in at the planning stages, they may have fewer surprises and cost over-runs if you can help them plan bids, etc...
- fyoucher10
Time to start getting new clients and stop relying on one in particular. If you get more work from more clients, you'd be charging the same (or higher) rate instead of lowering your rate and doing the same amount of work. I'm confusing myself.
- I dont rely on this one client, but they are my biggest and most consistent. I am working with a few other clients as well.desmo