FREELANCE PRICING
Common Freelance Pricing Mistakes
Pricing mistakes can make a busy freelance business surprisingly unprofitable. A rate that looks reasonable at first may not cover expenses, non-billable work or unexpected project changes.
1. Copying someone else's rate
Another freelancer may have different expenses, experience, workload, tax situation and clients. Competitor prices can provide context, but your own numbers should still be part of the decision.
2. Treating every working hour as billable
Freelancers also spend time on proposals, marketing, bookkeeping, communication and administration. If your rate assumes every working hour will be invoiced, your yearly revenue estimate can be too high.
3. Forgetting business expenses
Software, equipment, payment fees, contractors and other operating expenses reduce the amount of revenue that becomes personal income.
4. Quoting projects without a contingency
A small amount of unexpected work can erase the profit from a project. A reasonable contingency buffer helps account for uncertainty.
5. Allowing unlimited revisions
Fixed project pricing works best when the scope is clear. Define what is included and explain how additional work will be priced.
6. Never reviewing your rates
Your skills, demand and expenses change over time. Review your pricing periodically instead of using the same rate indefinitely.
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Use the free SoloTools calculator to estimate a rate based on your own income goal and billable time.
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