

How Much Should I Charge My Clients? - RobotOverlord
http://kevinboss.net/website-design/how-much-should-i-charge-my-clients
Whether you’re a brand new web designer, or an experienced web developer, you should have pondered this question at some point. I think putting a price on my time was one of the most difficult and subjective things I’ve had to do. My biggest consideration was how much I needed to make to cover my overhead &#38; make a profit. Usually when you’re in business, you want a few bucks to show for it.
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jon_dahl
Some of the calculations here are fine, but it leaves out by far the most
important cost of contracting: dead time. If you're a contractor and you work
2000 hours/year (50 weeks) for five straight years, you've got a sweet gig.
Most consultants work 3 months on, 3 weeks off, 6 months on, 1 month off, etc.
So don't forget to factor this in.

I recommend not relying too much on calculations: the market sets your price,
not a calculation. If your peers charge $100/hour, it doesn't really matter if
your spreadsheet tells you to charge $70 or $150.

Also, what's with the reference to price fixing at the end? Have people really
gotten in trouble for announcing their consulting rate? That would seem
extremely odd to me. Most contract designers or developers have a standard
rate, and don't keep it a secret.

