Hi all, this is a follow up to a post I made not long ago about factors that we often forget to factor in when we price projects. See that post here: Factors To Consider When Pricing For A Project
Excerpt:
We all remember to bill for the design work we do and the skills required and for any obvious special purchases, i.e CMS or E-Commerce softwares. Even as freelancers we should have a premium (allbeit alot smaller than an agency premium) top of this that accounts for us being a business. However there are some factors you shouldn’t forget to account for
I decided to talk about other factors that go into our pricing on a project and I compiled some more factors I mention below… As well as calendar time, minute time and expenses which I mentioned in my previous post..
When looking at pricing a project, I think its important to realise despite our desperate hunts for work the client is coming to you. As such, for your skills and expertise. Somewhat, a talking area, many think the majority of freelancers who populate our population – overcharge and think they are ‘experts’ after a week! However, it’s important to have a sense of perspective – evaluate your level within your field and understand that the higher you see your position, the more you should be charging. Conversely, if your brand new to the whole shibbang, your fees might reflect this.
It’s important to get it right, position yourself as exclusive and in demand and then pricing your services at a lower than competitive or niche level, might leave savvy clients somewhat tentative.
Ensure I am Competitive
Whenever pricing a project it’s important to consider what everybody else is charging. Competing against agencies and your fellow freelancers; ensures that you at least have a ball park figure to maybe act as the starting block for your prices and it will help you gauge the impact of factors such as expertise have on the fee.
How do you know what other freelancers are charging? – Ask. Whether this is within our community itself on forums / twitter etc – we are lucky in that our field is blessed with a helpful sentiment. No avail? In the beginning, I may have pretended to be a client and emailed freelancers and agencies for quotes for dummy jobs! Now your wondering if the jobs that seem to disappear after you have quoted are just designers checking your prices? lol
This is an important subconscious factor that I hadn’t really noticed I think about until recently. Are you being asked to design a simple corporate one sided business card? or are you being asked to create something that doesn’t exist? – design and implement an innovative brochure with folds, trims and die cuts everywhere? Essentially, I am unknowingly putting a rate on how ‘creative’ I am going to have to be. Which feels bad to say, as I would always be one to scream and shout that the same level of creativity and ‘oomph’ goes into every project – but in reality, if I am honest that is not the case.
Controversy or Just Reality?
Any other factors you think would fit in here as things we think about when pricing a project?
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