So how do you know what that perfectly right amount is to charge?  The thing is, there isn’t a perfectly right amount.  There is an average that’s standard for the work that you do and a deviation from that average which takes into account your geographic location, your experience and expertise and your client base demographic.  And there’s plenty of freelancers who charge less than or more than even this deviation accounts for.  So you need to stop thinking that there’s a “right” amount and charge the amount that works for you while being realistic about your expectations.

The first thing that you need to do in order to figure out how much to charge as a freelancer is to figure out your personal budget needs. No, it’s not fun, but it’s necessary.  You need to know how much you need to make per year to pay all of your bills, take care of your other financial needs and hopefully set aside a little bit for fun.  Then, you need to make some financial goals for where you’d like to be in the future.  This gives you a ballpark figure of what you need to earn each year.  You need to charge enough as a freelancer to meet this target number.

In order to meet this target number, you need to take a realistic look at how many hours you’re willing to put in each week and what you need to be making hourly in order to stick within those hours and still meet your target number.  Put simply, this is the amount that you’ll need to charge as a freelancer.  However, it’s not quite so cut and dry.  This is merely the average amount that you need to charge as a freelancer.  What you charge each client per project will vary.

For example, if you have one client who provides you with steady, high-paying work that gives you an hourly rate far above what your target hourly rate is, you have some flexibility in your other jobs.  You can take on clients who may provide you with great opportunities but who pay a little bit less as long as your hourly rate stays the same on average when you look at your total financial situation.  This requires some planning - get a good grasp on how long each project is going to take you and stay within the time frame that you’ve predicted at the onset of each job.  This will help you to stay on track with meeting your financial goals.

ALSO VISIT OUR PAGE ABOUT FIGURING OUT HOW MUCH TO CHARGE

and

ALSO VISIT ALLFREELANCEWORK.COM’S PAGE ABOUT FREELANCERS SETTING RATES

[tags]setting rates, setting your rates, pricing, rates, how much to charge, freelance rates, freelance pricing, small business, consulting, freelance, freelancing[/tags]