Archive for July, 2008
Sounds like my life
While setting up this blog, I stumbled across this blog post. Here’s an extract:
Let’s say for example that you’re designing a brochure. The client has had similar brochures created in the past, by you as well as by other designers. She knows that the last one cost her $1100 (by a rival designer) and the one before that was $1000 (by you). That means your bill for this job had better be in the region of $1200 (allowing for inflation) or you could be in trouble. Too much more and you’ll lose a client. Too much lower and, although you might make that client happy, you may also be undercutting yourself, not to mention creating a monster. (You charged me $800 last time, what do you mean it’s $1300 now!)
All of which means that the job is a $1200 job. Full stop.
Is there any mention of an hourly rate? Or of whether the designer is a newbie or a seasoned veteran? Or even how long the job will take?
No there isn’t. I would suggest that the bill goes out at $1200 and how the job was completed is secondary. At a charge rate of $120 an hour, that equates to 10 hours. If you managed to complete it in eight, you’re on the winning side. But if it took 12 hours, the only person who knows is you, and any issues arising from the extra time are yours to deal with alone.
Let’s face it, everyone HATES write offs. Anyone would look at the write off amount and start questioning your ability to do your job. So when you’re staring at a job which you know is going to result in a write off, what would you do? Charge it anyway? Or just finish it and your timesheet takes a beating?
Add comment July 31, 2008
