I know this question is posted every few weeks, but I need some advice for an upcoming quotation. I’ve agreed to help my sister-in-law’s boss out by designing a new logo for their company. They are a real estate company in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Small company, family owned, 3rd generation. Logo will be for letter head, newspaper ads, small stuff. I know when I go to meet with the owner the first thing he’s going to ask is “how much?”. I hate that I’m always so wishy washy with my answers about getting paid - so PLEASE - offer any advice you may have on this issue.
I’ve agreed to help my sister-in-law’s boss out by designing a new logo for their company.
NEVER work for “family”; and rest assured, your sister-in-laws’ boss IS family.
If YOU screw up in some fashion and can’t deliver on time, on budget, what’s the “boss” going to thing of her. If your sis-in-laws’ boss chumps out on paying you … then whatcha gonna do?
Be strait up and tell them what you want. I did a job once for a friend of my sisters and didn’t get paid a cent. It was partly my fault because I was too scared to say a price, this was my first year of school and also first freelance gig. BUT I did learn a lesson but it sucked. Make sure you put everything in writing.
First decide if you want to charge hourly or lump-sum. If you give an hourly rate, their next question is, how many hours will it take? This is why in your quote it’s best to note your hourly rate, and multiply it by the hours in each phase of the process.
Make sure that you tightly control the process. Specify how many initial concepts you’ll show & how many revisions are included in the quote. Anything above and beyond (like a total change in direction in the middle of the process) gets billed at your hourly rate.
It might be tough to do a logo.
I’d say it’s hard to do ANY job for much less than $5000 and make money.
You are going to go and meet with them.
Then you have to get a deposit.
You will have likely 3 more meetings.
You will have to bill them.
What I would do is break it out in exact deliverables and how many meetings you will have.
They may be thinking $500 and you are thinking $5000.
They may think it takes a day. When you are thinking for meetings and billing and creative time—80 hours.
80hours x $75 is $6000.
You have to show them it takes 80 hours.
If they are talking $500—that’s like 2 hours of creative time, because the other 6 are for 2 meetings and billing. Your time to get out to their offices and back is billable time.
Whatever you do—the job does not start until you see 50% down.
You deliver a inkjet printout and you deliver illustrator files upon
final check.