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BluKoo

Member

Registered: 8th Apr 02
Location: Stonehaven (Scotland)
User status: Offline

5th Sep 13 at 16:05

Finished up a job last night and when I was making up the invoice I decided to give myself a 16.6666% pay rise.

I wondered whether it was cheeky just thinking to myself, fuck it I want more money. I'll charge more.
Then again I think what I charge per hour is still cheap compared to others.

Any other self employed people feel like you're chancing it when bumping up your rate?

Gary

Premium Member

Registered: 22nd Nov 06
Location: West Yorkshire
User status: Offline

5th Sep 13 at 17:06

Hardest part of the job sometimes. You can be as good as you want but folk think with their pockets at the end of the day.

mattk

Member

Registered: 27th Feb 06
Location: St. Helens
User status: Offline

5th Sep 13 at 17:13

Always, I hate pricing jobs, needs to be done though.

I hate pricing something and they go "OOOOO Yeah that's a good price", makes me think "Fuck, could have gone well higher on that" I know what I charge though, I tend to go with that and weight it either way depending on factors of the job and the customer

johnny86

Premium Member

Registered: 15th Feb 10
Location: in a bus stop.
User status: Offline

5th Sep 13 at 17:27

When I was on the tools (scaffolding) I used to jump from firm to firm all the time doing this..

The best one was charge companies £90 a day for my labourers and get people on dole and pay them £50-£60 cash extra £30 a day helps..

Member

Registered: 9th Aug 02
Location: Southend, Essex Drives: Mini Cooper S
User status: Offline

5th Sep 13 at 17:38

My girlfriend's just got her first illustration freelance job... they've asked her in tomorrow to discuss rates and she doesn't really have a clue how much to ask. She's thinking of going in for £20 per hour (but dropping to £15 if needed) but she needs a price per project too. Any ideas!? Each one seems to take about a day.

Graeme

Premium Member

Registered: 26th Jul 04
Location: Northampton
User status: Offline

5th Sep 13 at 17:51

Depends on what you do. I work out my materials costs first and then a rough figure of hours to do it. Then see what it comes up with.

If it looks to much I drop it a bit to get the job but with others if it doesn't look enough bump it up a bit.

Its a hard thing but it works its self out.

dannymccann

Member

Registered: 9th Aug 06
Location: Doddington, Lincolnshire
User status: Offline

5th Sep 13 at 18:11

I love doing this sort of thing, pricing up the costs of a job, hours needed, then working with whoever it is discussing the margins they want to achieve etc.

I'm an accountant (in training anyway), so I should enjoy it

johnny86

Premium Member

Registered: 15th Feb 10
Location: in a bus stop.
User status: Offline

5th Sep 13 at 18:40

quote:
Originally posted by dannymccann
I love doing this sort of thing, pricing up the costs of a job, hours needed, then working with whoever it is discussing the margins they want to achieve etc.

I'm an accountant (in training anyway), so I should enjoy it

I love accountants especially end of year tax returns makes being self employment worth while :wink:

spencer88

Member

Registered: 6th Oct 08
Location: cornwall
User status: Offline

5th Sep 13 at 19:14

So you bumpy your prices up if you think you will get away with it?

I'd price my work on what I think it is worth, regardless of who it was for.

Ronson

Member

Registered: 6th Dec 10
User status: Offline

5th Sep 13 at 19:20

quote:
Originally posted by spencer88
So you bumpy your prices up if you think you will get away with it?

I'd price my work on what I think it is worth, regardless of who it was for.

Top man! It's no wonder people hate builders/joiners/window fitters etc as we all know they do it but cant prove it.

I also hate taxi drivers but that's because they think they own the road, charge a fortune, park in loading bays and don't move when I need to get in, but if I park in a taxi bay they kick off. Wankers, absolute wankers!

I might do a Derrick Bird and shoot me some taxi drivers!

baza31

Member

Registered: 19th Apr 03
Location: yorkshire
User status: Offline

5th Sep 13 at 21:30

If am busy price goes up

Quiet price goes down.

Simples

Rich H

Member

Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline

5th Sep 13 at 22:10

Probably all the time tbh - have got to a point now where I don't bother working for those who tell me I'm too expensive. I largely work for people who don't even ask how much it'll cost anymore

Then I find out how much others charge and I know I'm far too cheap

Ian

Site Administrator

Registered: 28th Aug 99
Location: Liverpool
User status: Offline

5th Sep 13 at 22:27

Very difficult when you're new to it to price stuff. That's why I became a teacher of web design rather than designing web sites, no money in web sites by the time you'd undersold massively every aspect of the job.

Does get easier as you do more as you become less worried about losing work. That's not to say you're taking the piss out of customers but if you're good at what you do and have enough people wanting you there, you can regulate your hours by upping the price. Baza has it right.

quote:
Originally posted by Rich H
Then I find out how much others charge and I know I'm far too cheap

Perk of the sector.

You do appear to be very busy, I don't mean full order book busy, I mean working long hours and too many days. That's probably a good sign you need to be turning stuff down and charging more for what remains.

Rich H

Member

Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline

5th Sep 13 at 22:30

'Order' book is full too (to January) but yes far too many days / hours per week - as this year is already booked, plans are in the pipeline for quite a bit of change in terms of services and prices for next year to try and get some form of life outside of work back!

spencer88

Member

Registered: 6th Oct 08
Location: cornwall
User status: Offline

6th Sep 13 at 06:20

quote:
Originally posted by baza31
If am busy price goes up

Quiet price goes down.

Simples

As Ian says, I think this is spot on.

However, I wouldn't alter my price between two people in an 'ordinary' situation.

If you think your work is worth, say £50 an hour, charge £50 an hour.
If you think it is worth £20, charge £20.

Don't think, oh he drives a Ferrari, I can charge him more.

BluKoo

Member

Registered: 8th Apr 02
Location: Stonehaven (Scotland)
User status: Offline

6th Sep 13 at 11:45

quote:
Originally posted by spencer88
So you bumpy your prices up if you think you will get away with it?

I'd price my work on what I think it is worth, regardless of who it was for.

No, it's not like that. This is the 4th job I've done with the client and with each job I have completed I have improved. I have also gained experience. Which in turn also speeds up my work flow a little.

Photography is such a competitive market right now I'm lucky to have a regular client who needs work.
The last thing I want to do is price myself out of the job.

spencer88

Member

Registered: 6th Oct 08
Location: cornwall
User status: Offline

6th Sep 13 at 11:47

quote:
Originally posted by BluKoo

quote:
Originally posted by spencer88
So you bumpy your prices up if you think you will get away with it?

I'd price my work on what I think it is worth, regardless of who it was for.

No, it's not like that. This is the 4th job I've done with the client and with each job I have completed I have improved. I have also gained experience. Which in turn also speeds up my work flow a little.

Photography is such a competitive market right now I'm lucky to have a regular client who needs work.
The last thing I want to do is price myself out of the job.

I didn't mean you as such.

If you think your work has deserved that rise, well done, crack on.

I was aiming at the ones who think they can alter their price between two different clients, but for the same work.

A2H GO

Member

Registered: 14th Sep 04
Location: Stoke
User status: Offline

6th Sep 13 at 11:49

quote:
Originally posted by BluKoo

quote:
Originally posted by spencer88
So you bumpy your prices up if you think you will get away with it?

I'd price my work on what I think it is worth, regardless of who it was for.

Which in turn also speeds up my work flow a little.

If you're spending less time on the job that's payment in itself.

BluKoo

Member

Registered: 8th Apr 02
Location: Stonehaven (Scotland)
User status: Offline

6th Sep 13 at 12:09

quote:
Originally posted by A2H GO

If you're spending less time on the job that's payment in itself.

That is very true. However I didn't feel like I should be missing out on collective hours (and therefore money) on jobs because I got the processing down to a T.

I'm now charging £35p/h instead of £30, so as you can imagine with £5 of a difference, every little helps.

Balling

Premium Member

Registered: 7th Apr 04
Location: Denmark
User status: Offline

6th Sep 13 at 12:19

quote:
Originally posted by A2H GO
If you're spending less time on the job that's payment in itself.

Not if he charges per hour it isn't.

VegasPhil

Premium Member

Registered: 16th Jan 05
Location: Fareham, Hants Drives: Octavia VRS
User status: Offline

6th Sep 13 at 12:19

Just overpaid a guy that underpriced a job in my opinion.

Corsa 2.0 16v Vegas - Sold

Balling

Premium Member

Registered: 7th Apr 04
Location: Denmark
User status: Offline

6th Sep 13 at 12:23

Part of my old job was calculating prices and I hated it.

Was shit at it too. Often missed expenses like shipping from subcontractors and environmental fees and as a result undercharged my clients.

Ben G

Member

Registered: 12th Jan 07
Location: Essex
User status: Offline

6th Sep 13 at 16:23

quote:
Originally posted by spencer88

quote:
Originally posted by baza31
If am busy price goes up

Quiet price goes down.

Simples

Don't think, oh he drives a Ferrari, I can charge him more.

Is that how it all works?

You wouldn't turn up to the house and charge the same as a bloke who has a shitty old astra outside.

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