Freelancing: How to Charge
What do I charge clients when I start freelancing ?
The age old question many people ask as they start freelancing. And the most common answer is usually, "it depends". When it comes to freelancing, especially in the web/mobile space, no one can tell you the best rate to charge potential clients.
Some people go the "charge cheap" route to start getting clients but end up being miserable or overworked or potentially both. Others prefer the to go the "charge premium" prices route which can be good and bad in my opinion. You tend to weed out the flakey and unreliable clients but this still puts a cap on your income because you're still bound by time. Based on, Breaking the Time Barrier, both these methods are incorrect.
The other day I came across this e-book in my inbox from Freshbooks, the popular invoicing web app. After reading this e-book, my total outlook on freelancing has completely changed, and for the better. Charging customers based on value and not on time is such a new concept to me, that it really blew my mind. This allows you to work less hours, and potentially lift the cap on the amount of income you can make.
Breaking the Time barrier, by Mike McDerment and Donald Cowper, is written in a story format of a person struggling to make it in the freelance world. He soon seeks out a leader in the industry for advice where he gets his outlook on charging clients completely turned around. I recommend any freelancer to read this e-book and hopefully it can change your outlook like it's changed mine.
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