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To Go Cheap or Hold Firm On Price

I had been looking around on various websites posting freelance jobs with most being just simple contract type of work and was really disappointed in the value most were offering for services. Some weren't even touching minimum wage when you consider time needed.

 

Then, I thought about how much I would like to make per hour which is a price I set a couple of years ago. This is taking in consideration computer equipment, software, time, taxes, and honestly, my personal amount of time and money spent learning my trade along with consideration for my experience.

 

Makes sense to me. If you look at many others in the professional field such as doctors and auto mechanics, they do the same. Your final cost for their services includes most of the above things and maybe more such as location costs and tools so an artist should get the same consideration.

 

But wait, let's look at the economy. It's in the toilet and jobs are scarce. Do you hold true to your determined value and move on, only to serve those willing to pay? Sadly, there are so many eager to take less and much less to do the same work that you could sit waiting for a client and not have income for long periods.

 

Another option is to just suck it up and get into the bidding wars and chop your prices. The result, you work yourself to death trying to keep up while providing quality work that takes time or you forget leading, kerning, alignment, flow, contrast, tones, hues, focus, and impact while cranking out mind-numbing and just average work.

 

Sad really and if that wasn't bad enough, we also have many larger paying clients going to contests that allows for wide amount of different design choices and their cost is minimal. This really isn't anything new but it's been on my mind lately and sounded like a good, first blog post. So what's an artist to do today?

Views: 30

Tags: artist, cheap, cost, economy, pay, price

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Comment by Dean Neitman on August 14, 2011 at 1:42pm

Yes... this is true. Region in the world has a lot to do with price. Even for us in the USA, different parts of the country have higher costs of living and when you think on a global scale... you are competing with people who might not have near the economy and inflation that another does so it is hard to compete with those that are working for less because for them it is acceptable. Their living situation makes it so.

 

And yes, Jarmaine, I hadn't really though about the importance of referrals in this equation but it makes a lot of sense. Those who are just starting out normally ask less because they have less experience and less referrals or references. Having those does make it easier to obtain the desired income one seeks for work rendered.

Comment by Jarmaine Sotto on August 12, 2011 at 11:06am

Hey Dean! Great points for discussion here.

I think it also depends on the designer, whether you would be willing to sacrifice the quality of your work to meet job requirements that actually pay less. Some people would, others won't.

This puts even more value on your client referrals and social connections. People who already know you or were referred to you would be more willing in my opinion, to pay what is due, because someone has already vouched for the quality of your work. The trust is already there.

 

Just my two cents in. Would love to hear what other people think!

Comment by Hamza Malik on August 12, 2011 at 10:17am

i think the main reason is employer always look for the cheaper one and then what you said it right.... "there are so many eager to take less and much less to do the same work that you could sit waiting for a client" i once thought to join a freelance website and started bidding but then what i saw there it goes a huge amount of people are coming from the corner of the street with a road roller and makes a sticker of you! You don't even become happy for a moment thinking of that somehow employer will ever look upon your application! Holy Shit,

I, from South Asia take this blame on me because we are the one who are always ready to do things in pennies! because a single $ matters here in our region! Even if you look at the Indians they will ready to do it in free just because of Ratings!!

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