64
votes
Accepted
I underpriced a prior job, how should I tell my client that I'm charging significantly more for new work?
I think your reply is fine. I would perhaps alter it slightly, you don't need to rationalize prices and doing so can often convey a weakness in negotiation:
I would really enjoy completing some ...
- 212k
58
votes
I'm a beginner: my client won't answer simple questions I've asked to aid design, what to do?
Make a phone call. Do not use an e-mail for this interview.
You can't even know if he is answering this questions or he is just mentioning some previous ideas he has.
If it is unpaid... do not do it. ...
- 38k
34
votes
I'm a beginner: my client won't answer simple questions I've asked to aid design, what to do?
Asking for a "mood board" is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much to ask any client. That's perhaps a designer's tool and a client should never be asked to do that work. That's what they are paying you for (or ...
- 212k
29
votes
Accepted
Client buys logo but wants to buy other concepts too
Unpopular personal opinion :))
With that being said ( :)) ), let's put things into perspective, ok?
You have a contract, in that contract you agreed to supply 3 concept designs out of which they ...
- 4,945
23
votes
Client buys logo but wants to buy other concepts too
Consider the upside of giving them away - (As a loss leader)
For good or bad I think I break most of the "rules" of running a freelance business daily. That said, I've been running a successful ...
- 8,552
23
votes
Not fond of time related pricing - what's a better way?
I have bad news. Even if your pricing model does not work on hours spent. It has to account for hours ( or any other timespan) spent, at least in aggregate.
What do I mean by this? Ultimately it is ...
- 58.6k
21
votes
Is it okay to set a project price significantly higher than the printing costs?
Print costs have nothing to do with the design costs. These are two separate things.
A design could be simple taking an hour or less, or it could be complex and take many hours of work, but the cost ...
- 89.5k
19
votes
I underpriced a prior job, how should I tell my client that I'm charging significantly more for new work?
Tell the truth, it does no harm.
Perhaps try:
I'm afraid that for the project we did last year I underestimated the amount of effort, and I ended up out of pocket, so I'm going to have to quote a ...
- 311
19
votes
Should I be charging for the social media versions of designs?
Yes.
If you work on anything for a client it's billable.
It doesn't matter if it's an entirely new item or a reformatting of an old/existing item. They all take your time and it's your time you charge ...
- 212k
17
votes
I'm a beginner: my client won't answer simple questions I've asked to aid design, what to do?
Your client doesn't know what they want, and they don't know what any of the things you ask mean.
You know the industry that the client works in, you know the name.
Throw together a few different ...
- 271
15
votes
Not fond of time related pricing - what's a better way?
Capitalism means I'm free to charge whatever I want.
No one has to pay it, but I am free to set my pricing however I wish.
There's nothing stating you can't merely pull a figure out of thin air and ...
- 212k
13
votes
Is it okay to set a project price significantly higher than the printing costs?
In a capitalistic world... you are free to charge whatever you want to charge. It makes no difference if you charge 100%, 200%, 500%, or 1000% more than any printing costs.
The only thing which ...
- 212k
13
votes
Client buys logo but wants to buy other concepts too
Alin has the right idea here. Your contract states that the client is paying for one logo. If your client wants to pay for the other two, great!
Calculate a fair discounted price for the second and ...
7
votes
Client buys logo but wants to buy other concepts too
After running my design company for over 30 years, a small additional piece of advice, for future situations like this: get yourself some terms and conditions, on paper. Make sure you show your ...
- 81
6
votes
I underpriced a prior job, how should I tell my client that I'm charging significantly more for new work?
Your basic confusion or problem is this:
You are assuming that in some way your new quote has to refer to the old quote in some way.
Here's the entire formula for telling the client what price you ...
- 229
6
votes
Accepted
Should clients pay twice for the same fonts used in different projects?
No.
If the client paid for a license to use a specific typeface, then the client owns that license and should not be charged every time the typeface is utilized.
In addition, if the client ...
- 212k
6
votes
I'm a beginner: my client won't answer simple questions I've asked to aid design, what to do?
First, It's not good for you nor for the whole sector to do free works. But I understand that at first is hard to take money from someone who trusts you.
I think that the problem is the questions you ...
- 61
6
votes
Not fond of time related pricing - what's a better way?
I've been freelancing for a few years now, I've worked at some small studios wearing many hats. My two cents from what I've learned over the years:
You should get a timer like Toggl to track your time ...
- 404
5
votes
Client buys logo but wants to buy other concepts too
This isn't an every-day occurance, and there is no real answer, more you need to decide how to play the situation.
Do they stand to profit from the t-shirts?
Are they a new client or one you need to ...
- 4,744
5
votes
Client buys logo but wants to buy other concepts too
You have to remember that you are most probably going to keep working in the industry and it matters what quality of work you officially release as "done". So if in addition to 1 main article of work ...
- 195
5
votes
Should I be charging for the social media versions of designs?
A big, bold and uppercase YES.
The whole purpose of an hourly rate is for it to be applied to everything you produce for the client. You just count the time for every request sent you get, and yes ...
- 29.6k
4
votes
Client buys logo but wants to buy other concepts too
I think that you are looking at this wrong. You are considering the work you put into creating those, which was already covered by your initial contract. Your client seems to be thinking of it ...
- 141
4
votes
How does licensing & pricing work for a design that a client will use on Tshirts (for sale)
I have been in the screenprinting / embroidery / graphic design industry for over 25 years. As far as I am concerned, this is how it works… The customer pays me for art work or for me to create any ...
- 944
4
votes
Pricing considerations when doing logo work for an agency as a freelancer
If the agency is hiring you to do work for them, then odds are you are being brought on in a 'work for hire' model, which is pretty much the same as if you were an employee in the sense that anything ...
- 50.2k
3
votes
I feel like I am undercharging myself and there is nothing I can change about it
50$ for a logo at your age? Not too bad probably. But yes, real clients will rather work with experienced designers, so what you can do is take it one step at a time, learn more skills and see if this ...
- 29.6k
3
votes
I underpriced a prior job, how should I tell my client that I'm charging significantly more for new work?
As a customer, I would be gobsmacked if a supplier came at me for similar work with a price quote that multiplies my experience by 3.
I don't care how you explain it. I don't care how you rationalise ...
- 131
3
votes
How does licensing & pricing work for a design that a client will use on Tshirts (for sale)
If you expect that they are only going to sell a few (or even a few hundred) products then I would recommend charging them a reasonable flat fee for the work that they need you to do. You could ...
- 9,534
3
votes
How to get feedback about our prices
Don't say anything.
Instigating any further communication about pricing puts you in a very weak negotiation position. Never apologize for or question your pricing to a client.
If anything, ask if ...
- 212k
3
votes
Not fond of time related pricing - what's a better way?
Think of it this way.
There are people in this world charging 300$, 500$, 1000$ or more, per hour. Not all designers, but certainly doctors, lawyers and executives. And guess what, they also have to ...
- 29.6k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible