Hello I am just starting freelancing, I have a job to do business
cards with a logo design, eventually do all the stationary etc. Do I
charge by the hour? or for the project? If so what is the price going
for business card design, and logo design? or how do I charge???
Please help! jpotvin77@hotmail.com Thank you!

Welcome, new poster Jacquie!

1. Your first resource is to read http://www.freelanceworkshops.com. Dan, a
poster here, has some GREAT advice on getting clients and how to bill.

2. Search the web for "freelance pricing" and you can see "what the market
will bear" (i.e. what other freelancers are charging.)

3. Join AIGA (www.aiga.org) to commiserate with other freelancers in your
area.

4. Keep coming back here and reading posts.

Now to answer your question. The first two questions are, what's the
timeline and how many iterations does the client want to see. Get all the
facts for the needs of the client. If they want a logo that will last a long
time, more iterations are needed for a finished product, hence more time.

What is the client's budget? VERY important question to ask because it lets
you know how much work you can put into the job.

Hope this helps!


--

Nathaniel Flick
please reply to: nat at flikworld(dot)com
or reply to this newsgroup




in article 64d10947.0312111613.1e03db59@posting.google.com, Jacquie at
jpotvin77@hotmail.com wrote on 12/11/03 4:13 PM:

"Jacquie" <jpotvin77@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:64d10947.0312111613.1e03db59@posting.google.c om...
Well, here's one reference point. My friend charges $250.00 for a
logo/bizcard/letterhead.
It's in the low to mid pricerange for small businesses in the southeast.

G

i charge £600 for the identity, £1000 for identity and stationery or £600
for stationery from an existing identity.

it pays to do it all together

mark

"Jacquie" <jpotvin77@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:64d10947.0312111613.1e03db59@posting.google.c om...

OMG!!!!

We don't touch a project like that for less than 10 times what your friend
charges.

Just shows how it is not that important to charge what everyone else is
charging. You have to know what you are worth and charge that.

Combi



On 12/11/03 10:11 PM, in article 5haCb.3989$Ob4.2782@bignews2.bellsouth.net,
"Who?" <adfvada@avadfv.net> wrote:

"Combaticus Jones" <combi@combatinternational.com> wrote in message
news:BBFF3607.1557%combi@combatinternational.com.. .


OMG!!!

My friend is a little cheap for Baton Rouge... but not much really.
Especially considering the local newspaper designs for free if you buy ad
space.

He really uses that to drum up web design business. In this little
conservative town... things are a bit different.

G

I think everyone would agree that the size of the client oftentimes
determines the budget. Small client = $500-1000; Medium Sized Business =
$1000-3000; Large Business = $2000-5000 (+).

I charged $600 to a Small Business in 1996, so I imagine that prices have
gone up a little bit since then. I just haven't done logos/letterheads on a
freelance basis since then...


--

Nathaniel Flick
please reply to: nat at flikworld(dot)com
or reply to this newsgroup


in article yrlCb.9504$L04.6667@bignews4.bellsouth.net, Al Lorio Design at
allorio@bellsouth.net wrote on 12/12/03 7:54 AM:

Yo NF,

That's just about the same set of ranges I try to hit. I always keep a
weather eye as to future business. Especially for small and medium
companies, the winner of the identity business usually gets the call for
follow-on projects. So i try hard not to lose the identity piece, but I
will not give it away. That sets a bad precedent.

My price allows for up to three concepts.

Gary

In article <BBFF2503.4EC%nat@flikworld.com>,
Nathaniel Flick <nat@flikworld.com> wrote:

Gary

Thank you for the confirmation, sir! The trouble is, for the newby, getting
their head around pricing because it's so subjective. It's not as easy as
pricing a commodity which is the same for each one, it's pricing time which
has value, but everything takes different amounts of time.

I would add to what I said that if your rate is $50/hour (just for an
example; I would estimate that rates are a bit higher than this for most of
us here) then break down each job by how much you think it will take, then
at least double that estimation, then subtract an hour or two and you will
come up with a good estimate for the job.

Some clients want a "per job" bid and others don't mind paying you by the
hour so they have more control over progress. Remember to add "kill fees" in
your contract to allow the client to back out if things don't go well, while
still paying you for the work that you have completed.

Kind Regards,
--

Nathaniel Flick
please reply to: nat at flikworld(dot)com
or reply to this newsgroup


in article 3fda07c4$0$239$9a6e19ea@news.newshosting.com, Gary at
gary@gary.erg wrote on 12/12/03 10:24 AM:

On 12/12/03 10:54 AM, in article yrlCb.9504$L04.6667@bignews4.bellsouth.net,
"Al Lorio Design" <allorio@bellsouth.net> wrote:
ROTFL!!!

G, I did not mean to disparage your friend. He is down in
huckle-buckleville, so I guess he just has to charge what he can get.

But, that said, I am not in some hot market either and I can tell you, we
get paid. Our rates exclude a number of potential clients. We can not afford
to work for a one man painting company that needs biz cards done for 25
bucks. But, there are a ton of people who can afford to do that kind of work
and it is right up their alley, so to speak.

I get the feeling we are just not comparing apples to apples.

Regards,

Combi

"Combaticus Jones" <combi@combatinternational.com> wrote in message
news:BBFF8140.156E%combi@combatinternational.com.. .

Perhaps,

But a logo is a logo. Check out my frinds site, he's got skills:
www.thedesignsmith.com

The local university (LSU) paid an east coast firm $65,000 for theirs. That
really pissed off the local dsign community.


I've seen folks get between $800 & $3000, for a logo here. My friend does
have an hourly rate of $100, so I don't really know what's up with the $250
identity package. He once told me he just tries to get more web business
that way, I guess that's what works for him. Perhaps there's not much
branding to be done here. Perhaps web design is more valued here than logos.
Perhaps too many art student cousins.

I know I'd rather get more than $250 for a logo. I really enjoy doing logos
& think it's one of my strong points. I think there's just not much money in
it here. I'd be inclined to charge by the hour in this town, I think.

G

Like I said in an earlier post, it's a VERY subjective business, this
quoting thang. It depends on the market, your skills and speed, the demands
of the client and their budget and time and the time it takes to actually
complete the job.


Kind Regards,
Nathaniel
--
flikWORLD Design
reply to: nat at flikworld(dot)com


in article BBFF8140.156E%combi@combatinternational.com, Combaticus Jones at
combi@combatinternational.com wrote on 12/12/03 11:28 AM:

Hello I just wanted to thank you all very much for your advice. I told
my client I would charge $20/hr so for the whole thing, stationary,
business cards and logo would come to about $800. I have since found
out that most graphic designers in my area, nova scotia canada charge
$15-60/hr, so since i'm new I figure it's reasonable. Thank you again!
Jacquie

"Al Lorio Design" <allorio@bellsouth.net> wrote in message news:<o7pCb.10966$L04.9822@bignews4.bellsouth.net> ...

As a practical matter, I guage my pricing based on the amount of time I
think it will take but ultimately price everything using value-based
criteria. For example, for ad campaigns I have an excellent track
record. It may take me only a few hours to a couple days to develop a
copy platform and concept that I believe will be very strong. I may well
charge several thousand dollars for this.

I always offer an estimate framed by certain assumptions as to the scope
of work, along with language stating that extra work will cost extra
bucks at such and such a rate.

In general, this approach results in a higher estimated price. However,
I always take the future value of the account into consideration on
early projects with them, although I will not give it away. This is an
almost impossible technique for someone just getting started. I also
have a great contract which, as you suggested, is essential. Why someone
would be willing to undertake work without good contract language, I
cannot fathom.

Gary

In article <BBFF5343.757%nat@flikworld.com>,
Nathaniel Flick <nat@flikworld.com> wrote: