How much should I charge for graphic design service?

Question

I have to do business cards, flyers and a website for a plating company in California, I'm a graphic design student and my brother who works for that company, hooked my up with the job, the only problem is that i don't know how much to charge for the project since i've never done it for someone other than myself.
thanks

Answer 1

Hi,

First, try to get a sense of what is fair for an experienced professional. You may even do a quick google search and find some and ask for an estimate.

As a rule of thumb, I would think $10-$15 bucks/hr seems at the absolute high end. When you are first starting out, the experience you get is extremely valuable, and if they wanted to pay $40+ bucks per hour, they would have hired some one with an established business.

I would also recommend that you set up the amount immediately! You are just setting yourself (and your brother) up for problems if you do not get things set straight and ensure every one has the same expectations. Finally, you definitely want to have a "reference account" so if you give your first customer a good deal, they are more likely to ask for repeat business, recommend you to another company, or provide a reference. All of these are far more valuable than squeezing a few extra bucks from your first professional gig.

Good Luck,

Answer 2

Definitely charge by the hour, and a reasonable rule of thumb is to double what you'd be paid if you were salaried (cause they don't have to pay benefits and you have overhead).

So, if you figure you'd make $50k a year salaried, that's roughly $24 an hour, so you'd charge $48.

If you don't know what your salary would be, then just check http://www.salary.com/

Answer 3

You should charge them by the hour. How much an hour depends on your experience. I would say between $20.00 and $60.00. Talk with your brother.

Answer 4

I would look up similiar services,and see what others charge for the same work.Then base it on that.