“I stopped guessing on rates once I started from what I needed to earn, not what the client hoped to pay. Work backward from your monthly number at about 20 billable hours a week, then pad project fees by 1.5x because revisions always show up.”
“I started by figuring out what I actually needed to earn each month, then broke every project down by hours, revisions, and the value it created for the client. A $400 full brand package for a restaurant is underpriced; that scope usually takes me 20 to 40 hours once strategy and revisions are counted.”
“I started freelancing in Romania in 2015 and undercharged for years because I confused what a client can pay with what I need to earn. I now set a minimum monthly number, divide by billable hours, and refuse to let one package eat another.”
“I started freelancing at sixteen, so I priced by what felt scary but not impossible, then raised it every time a client said yes too fast. For a full brand package, $400 would have me working below minimum wage once I counted revisions, so I now back into my rate from hours plus the value the work brings the business, not what they say their budget is.”
“$400 for logo, menu, and social templates is three deliverables for the price of one, and that math only works if you want to stay broke. I tell people to price toward what they want to be making in year three, not this year, because your first years always underfill.”
“I didn't start by guessing a number; I started by tracking what I actually needed each month and how many projects that meant I had to take on. When I ran local paint nights, the income was unpredictable, so I learned to price based on hours plus a buffer for the slow months, not just what felt fair.”