Pricing Your Work

One of the most common hurdles for people starting freelance careers is the lack of a regular paycheck. There's no such thing as a freelance salary -- it's all a matter of getting the work and getting it done well. The more work you get and the better you do it, the more you'll make. That's the theory, anyway. In reality, many clients are looking simply to get work done as cheaply as possible, without much regard for quality. It's very difficult to compete based on price -- there's always someone's 14-year-old nephew who will do the work cheaper. Here's a rough guideline: Get an idea of what a full-time professional would make doing your kind of work. Then double it -- after all, as a freelancer you have to pay for your own insurance, health care, computer equipment and other costs that a full-time employer would cover for you. While it's important to know what your competitors are charging, it's also important to have a well-crafted marketing message that makes a case for the value of a higher-priced freelancer.