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7 or 8 Tips to Help You Arrive at Rates That Define Your Value

As a freelance graphic designer, you spent your time giving and gaining new design experiences, whilst creating a client list and a reputation for putting out quality work. You acquire client testimonials, because tooting your own horn just isn’t going to cut it.

Every year you question whether or not you’re charging clients the right amount for design work completed; you look at the prices and you think you have. But have you really?

In business, knowing or even discovering your own monetary worth is one of those instances that requires a sometimes really long and hard look at all that you have done and accomplished as a freelancer or entrepreneur.

Take time to do the following:

Examine your present and past clientele
Evaluate your portfolio of work
Find someone established and positioned as an industry leader and ask for advice
Look at the prices of your competition locally and globally
Join forums for freelance designers
Make the tough decisions on pricing your value
Lose a few prospective customers who aren’t ready to pay you what you’re worth

To get your business to the next level requires a lot of effort in heavy-lifting. It’s a lot like moving your friends furniture to their new apartment that’s on the fifth floor and the place has no elevators only stairs. You know its going to be back-breaking work and sweat pouring down your face, but it’ll all be worth it knowing you’ll be rewarded (not with pizza and cold beer).

Don’t be afraid to raise your prices. Only you can do what you do and if people are lining up around the block just to work with you then that’s a good sign you’re worth more than you first thought.

How did you discover your true value as a designer? Share your story below. We could all learn from it.

Don’t Be Afraid You’ll Miss A Note Tooting Your Own Horn!

I am a member of the ‘Graphic Illustration Professionals’ group on Linkedin.com. The following question was asked “I love design, but hate self promotion. What are some fields that maximize a designers’ creative passion, without spending so much time trying to get noticed?”. Here was my response to the person that asked. This may help you if you are an Entrepreneur/Freelancer.

“I think a lot of professionals face that issue because of the fear of looking as though you are greater than everyone else thinks you are, but the truth is if you’re not acknowledging that the work you do as a designer is great work, then sometimes people are not going to be noticing you.

I will be the first to admit that while humility is a wonderful characteristic to have, there is nothing wrong in highlighting to people that you are pretty good at what you do. If you look at some of the biggest and most successful companies in the world you will see that they spend millions on marketing telling everybody just how great and wonderful they are and that their product and company is the leader and number one in this industry/sector or space.

With that being said, there are still several approaches to getting noticed and one of those is to be seen as an ‘expert’ in your field. Give advice for free unless your hired. Become an “industry leader”. This could be done via your own blog (WordPress for e.g.). When people see that they can look to you for design advice, they will also begin to look at your work. Ask for testimonials from clients and have them sing your praises. Get referrals; that allows you to be exposed to others who may like your work. Share interesting articles via Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin. It is also advantageous to comment on other designers work. All the best man!“