You get what you pay for...

Money is never a fun topic, but with tax season in full-swing... I have money on the brain. I've been thinking a lot about my rates and how I bill for individual projects. I started working for myself almost three years ago and have not increased my hourly rate—not once. I originally came up with my rate based on what others were charging locally (I was still in Washington DC), as well as the time I would be spending on admin and self-employment taxes/insurance. I've always thought my rates were fair and in keeping with industry standards (more on that here)...

However, after moving across the country to a suburban setting, I found that my rates are a bit higher than those being charged by most designers/consultants in the area. As a result, I have very few local clients. I am trying to change that, but one of the obstacles I face (and all designers face) is to help others understand why things cost as much as they do... and to convince clients that having a family member set up a business website may not be the best strategy—even if it does save money initially.

A few things to consider:

1. Getting a project right the first time, rather than having to fix someone's mistakes saves everyone time and money.

2. Designers make their living doing just that—designing. So offering to pay $100 for a logo is sending the message that you either: a) have no idea how much time goes into logo design; b) you do not value a designer's contribution and are ok spending less than minimum wage for your branding; or c) really don't care about the final outcome.

3. Just because you're paying a designer $xx, doesn't mean that they're getting $xx at the end of the day. As with any other business, designers have overhead—computer(s), software, taxes, insurance, rent, administrative time... oh, and we also need a few dollars left over for food, mortgage payments, etc.

4. We're professionals. And clients should expect nothing less from a designer than a professional product created within the designated timeline, all while providing excellent customer service. That's our job. That is not necessarily the modus operandi of some guy a client finds to design their website for $200...

All that said, remember that you really do get what you pay for—with designers, with everything. If you're willing to sacrifice time and possibly quality, then by all means save your money. But if you're looking for a great product at a decent price, then I'm your gal!
(maybe I should raise my rates...)