Would you like to make money as a freelance? It is always difficult to determine your own value.
If you’re good as a web designer, graphic designer or even a good writer, you can earn a very good living offering your services to your customers and even come when you have to increase or even double your base rate.
But it is clear that if you want to increase your hourly rate should do things right. Here are some tips to help you consider increasing you’re to help you increase your salary.
Tips to make money as a freelance
Tip 1- Clearly selling yourself
- As a designer is easy to underestimate your value in a business and part of the problem is how to position yourself in the market.
- When designing graphics precious create and receive money work you do for your customers that your brand is recognized as more professional.
- You pay your clients to make graphics that can make them more revenue for your business.
- Position yourself as someone who can offer a clear return on investment is one of the simplest ways to justify a raise.
Tip 2- Understand the needs of your customers
If you work as a freelance designer and hire you to create a design blog, first you have to meet the needs of your client and be serious in delivering the work done.
Many companies have to charge and hire people and do not meet delivery and weeks are delayed without justification.
While you can choose the option of taking an employee and to make this micro-management, but in the end this is frustrating. It devotes much time and ends it does professionally.
If you can solve your business needs and deliver results from the data you receive from your customers, your job is 10% higher than the self-employed.
With a well-made web design visitors will stay longer on the website of your client and you may also get more traffic.
Tip 3- Conversions master
Beautiful website, gorgeous graphics or the great work was done is not the only thing they need your customers. You must think about how to solve the main target customers, which usually is to earn money.
If you own a website and you have it in order to make money, you can focus your site in different ways. Understanding this, as a freelancer, there are some areas in which yes you can become an expert and can charge a premium.
These are:
- Opting
- Conversions
- Create something with the desire to return
You become an expert in any of these three areas you will guarantee a good income and can charge a premium. Each of these fields provides a clear return on investment for the person you have hired (as you have the skills that will make you earn more money).
Tip 4- Become an expert
If your intention is to increase the time of your salary as a freelancer then you need to become an expert in their field.
- If you are a graphic designer, you must study the new trends in design.
- If you create websites, you must find out what the latest news appeared.
- If you dedicate yourself to write, you should find out what more converts.
- Be better than the competition is the best way to ensure that your customers value your service.
These tips have worked in the career of freelancers and have helped to improve their basic salary.
Now let’s talk about prices…
How much to charge for your freelance work?
If you are self-employed, you must have made you this question before. You may not know or can you put the price was not right to work done.
The action of putting the price of our services is one of the most difficult circumstances as independent workers. No one seems to agree on the price to be paid. There are many opinions there and contradict each other.
What should a freelance?
Are you struggling with the kind of price you should put to offer your services as a freelance? Here is a list of principles that should check before setting the right price for your services as a freelancer…
Principle 1- Base your price not quantity but quality of service
Do not think about the money you receive, think about the quality you offer to make your service. But also do not do a higher volume of work for a low fee. Instead of trying to charge the lowest price, concentrate on the production of high-quality services to justify a higher price.
Principle 2- Your price must cover your expenses and you make a profit
While this may seem obvious, many new freelancers have not run a business before. They are not used to thinking in terms of profitability. Be sure to include overhead costs in your expenses.
Principle 3- Regularly updates the price
Are you charging the same rate now than a year ago? The more time passes without setting your rates, the more likely you fall into the red. In addition, worth more now than a year ago because now you have more experience.
Principle 4- Base your price in the current job, not in the promises of the future
Quite often a prospective customer can contact and want a price break because in the future can have a lot more work for him. However, unless they are willing to sign a contract now for future work, do not listen to the future promises.
Principle 5- Do not agree to give the money to a project without having studied well before
You need to know the effort and time required for the work you’re going to make before taking a final price. Do not do that unless you know the real scope of the project. Freelancer’s work is a common problem and you have to make a written contract.
Principle 6- More work must equal payout
If the client adds new project after accepting tasks, your opinion must rise. It is best to leave everything clear before you start rather than later. Otherwise, you might find yourself working at an hourly rate lower than you thought at first.
Principle 7- Free work often does not pay
Occasionally, someone will ask you to donate your services. This can come from a charity, or a friend or family member. Think carefully if you want to do this. Remember that free = no payment.
Principle 8- Do not work for anything other than the money
Another request you will receive is if you would be willing to work exposing something or even if you would accept a trade. Although there are some independent professionals who engage in barter, remember that money is what pays your bills.
Principle 9- Your prices are a line to follow
Remember that your prices are a guide. You are a freelancer and you have to take control of the money. If you believe that a particular project will be more difficult than most, you can increase your rates to compensate for the extra effort.
Principle 10- You’ll never guess how much to charge
While you may want to give an approximate figure to a customer before knowing the details of a project, do not commit to a firm price without knowing the final scope of work. (Hint: if you give a ballpark figure, that is at high and give a range.)
Principle 11- Not knowing what other competitors charge in their field
As an independent professional you are, you should know what your competitors charge for their services. You can find this information in professional organizations (often track information) or look at competing sites.
Principle 12- Offer price packages
For the undecided interesting offer pricing packages instead of having one option, but it is important to think very carefully with this kind of price package you offer. Make sure the package makes commercial sense.
Principle 13- Put blackout dates at the prices you offer
The last thing you want is to have a potential customer getting a proposal five years with quoted prices. It could happen unless it includes a limit date in your proposals.
Principle 14- Must collect overdue fees
The agreements as a freelancer you should include provisions for late fees. Most companies charge additional fees to customers who do not pay on time. Remember that as a freelancer also is a small business owner.
Principle 15- Is correct charge more for more work
Did you get a project with a very limited period of time? If so you will have to work harder to meet the agreed time with your client and unavoidably have to charge more for it. Make sure your customer knows in advance.
Principle 16- Low price does not necessarily mean more customers
There is a common misperception among some members of the freelance community is that lower rates will lead to more customers. This is not necessarily true. In fact, if prices are too low, they may think you’re not good at what you do.
Principle 17- If your customers say that your rates are too low, they are
It is a sure sign that you need to increase your rates if your customers are saying that your fees are too low. Believe them and fix it. Remember that they do not have to say anything.
Principle 18- Take your time to know your true rate
If you do not track your time, how will you know what hourly rate you charge? Fortunately, there are plenty of online tools available that can help you control this situation and your time.
Principle 19- Okay to have a rejected proposal because of the price
I know it hurts to have a rejected proposal, but defend your position when it comes to your prices. If the price is the main objection to catching the work probably it will not be a good customer for you.
Principle 20- Understand when charge by the hour and when price closed
This turns out to be an interesting debate among freelancers, as some think or want one thing and some another. You must understand what works best for the types of projects you do.
It’s your turn…
I hope that as a freelancer you have taken some notes about it and let your queries or opinions in the comments below. Thank you.