I'm so cheap!

[emergency_pants]

£17.50 per hour for concession rate.
£25 per hour for modest rate.
£35 per hour for high end rate.
£50 per hour for work I don't really want.

Does that sound like a competitive rate card to you?

I've been approached to do some quickie extra evening work by an artist. I'm happy to do it for cheap but first I need some base figures to use so I can give a good deal.

I'll probably estimate how long it'll take and then give a project figure.

I've been out of the freelance scene since I was a rookie. Back then, I charged about £80 per day and it did me lots of favours. Now I'm a professional, I need to figure a base rate.

Thing is, I don't really know what the going rate is! I've asked around and I'm getting replies back between £17 and £50 per hour which is a pretty wide margin!

How do my rates sound to you, given I'm an experienced flash designer/developer? Would you laugh, cry or give an agreeable nod? :)

[MasonShew]

I don't know how the moderators feel about discussing rates here - so this post may not stay up long. Also, I'm American and don't know the typical rates in the UK. :) But I can offer you this:

If you charge too much, they'll go to someone else. If you charge too little, they'll think you're an ameteur.

I would go with no more than two solid rates. I have one rate for my not-for-profit clients, and another for everyone else.

If I don't want to do a job, and I can afford not to, I don't. But I don't discourage it by increasing my rate. Not good business.

It's always better to keep your business model as simple and consistent as possible when you're freelancing.

My 2 cents (or whatever that is in pounds) :p

[CyanBlue]

Well... I don't think this one quite goes with the famous 'price fixing' scheme and it definitely does not apply to that guy in UK if I understand correctly...
So, the bottom line is that it should be okay for you in the USA as long as you don't sugges the $$$ figure... But I am not a lawyer, so use your own judgement... ;)

[Cota]

This is an issue thats comes up hundreds of times before...In the past, they were worried conversations like this could be considered price fixing...but realistically, no way...so I dont think the mods will give you any grief..

[MasonShew]

I agree. I think the market is more likely to determine appropriate rates. I guarantee that a designer of comparative skill in San Fransisco or New York is going to make more than I do here in Indianapolis.

I suppose if we were all competing for the same clients and were discussing rates, there could be issues. But something tells me that the ocean between emergency_pants and the rest of us will keep us out of trouble. :D

[Flash Gordon]

See the thing is....

Hypothecial below:

"Scripter #2" charge $100 USD/hour. However, they work 2x as fast as "rookie #1" and the code runs more efficeint. So for a small project, the end cost is the same as if "rookie #1" charges $45/hour, but you get a better product going with "Scripter #2".

Nobody can tell you want to charge. If you have been doing it since you were a rookie like you said, you should have a good idea of what you can charge. I know if do ;)

According to post, I've seen here, I think I'm low but my clients tell me I'm high. I also think I code pretty good and fast.

[MasonShew]

I know what you mean. I ran into that same issue. So I just started charging by the project, instead of quoting an hourly rate. Of course, I based that project cost on the assumed number of hours it would take to complete the project.

Also, I learned to spell out in my contracts EXACTLY what I would be doing for the client for that specific project. If they wanted to deviate from those details, they could, but at an additional cost to them.

I hate dealing with the billing aspect of my job, but I suppose there's no way around it. :(