Comments on: Common Freelancing Mistakes

By: Brett Widmann

Brett Widmann — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 22:11:35 +0000

These are definitely very common mistakes and very important ones. I will be sending this article to some friends so they do not make these mistakes!

By: Tyler Herman

Tyler Herman — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 22:13:46 +0000

Good post and I see a few more I want to check out. More reading for me. Everything you mention seems pretty true.

By: Thibaut Allender

Thibaut Allender — Wed, 26 May 2010 22:29:01 +0000

Good article but I agree with most “fixed prices are better than hourly ones” aficionados. If you have too much work (like I do), you have to switch to fixed price because you can’t compress time or raise your hourly rate indefinitely. Take a break, judge the real value of your works, over estimate them a bit if needed and you’ll work for a fairly descent hourly rate without frightening your clients. Maybe they’ll even think you are cheap because you work fast!

By: SJL Web Design

SJL Web Design — Wed, 05 May 2010 08:40:57 +0000

Hi Brian, thanks for the quality advice, I definitely agree with the second and fifth points.

By: Eilonvi

Eilonvi — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 09:23:37 +0000

This is sound advice – very interesting article:) Thanks:)

By: Jasmyn

Jasmyn — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 04:30:52 +0000

I’m a design student that does free-lancing on the side, so this is perfect! I find myself trying to learn everything, so I really appreciated tip #12. Thanks :)

By: Ocular Harmony Design

Ocular Harmony Design — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:32:12 +0000

Thanks for the post Brian. After seeing the last point you made I realized how I need to raise my price. It’s just hard as a beginner freelancer to get enough clients with such little exposure and a small portfolio to start charging enough to live comfortably. I’ve been getting by, but barely. Any tips?

By: Anthony Hortin

Anthony Hortin — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 01:48:35 +0000

Great post Brian. You raised some really interesting points that I think every designer could benefit from if they decide to branch out into their own business. I know that over the last couple of years that I’ve been building up my own business, I’ve found myself that many of your points here are extremely relevant (and theirs still others that I could improve on). Keep up the great work. Cheers!

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Thu, 25 Mar 2010 12:33:00 +0000

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By: Alice Dagley

Alice Dagley — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 12:07:48 +0000

Thank you for sharing your experience. I quite agree with you. I also have some comments to add.
It’s a good idea to charge hourly. But there are pros and cons. Clients always want to know how much they need to pay. And they are right. They want to know whether you meet their budget or not as well as compare your quote with other proposals. Just imagine that you come to an Auto Center to buy a car and wonder how much it costs. Will you be satisfied with such an answer: It depends on how many hours its manufacturing takes? I suppose, no. But at the other hand you may miscalculate the cost of a project not taking into account some unexpected extra work. It’s true.
I’ve found the solution. I calculate every hour expected to be spent for each part of work and give a customer a set price. However I also stipulate all work to be done and number of revisions as well as hourly rate for extra work. I think it’s the best way to meet everyone’s halfway.