How much do you think I should charge?

Question

I am a college student with a good knowledge of computers. Someone suggested I should start helping people with their computers in the area I live in. I was planning on helping with the set up of a new computer, helping with questions, "tutoring, whatever they need. I want to charge on an hourly basis, how much do you think I should charge?

I want to remind people that Best Buy does it for $100.00 an hr...

Answer 1

I like Dreads post, very true.

Wow, I could write on this forever. I started doing this part time on my own 8 years ago, and went full time in 2001. I work out of my home servicing home users & businesses in an area of about 27,000 people. I charge $65.00 an hour. The highest in the area is $90 and there are some low raters for 20-40 that aren't usually around long!!

Things to consider: Are you good at what you do? No one knows it all, even though some claim to. Do you know how to word a problem on the Internet so you can find a speedy solution?Are you going to be in the same area after you leave college? Or will you be leaving town, these people never to be seen again?

Also remember, it is a lot easier to lower your rates or give customers a discount if you start your rates to high, than it is to raise them disguised as cost of living increases.

Do you ever plan to do this full time, or just as a hobby? First don't ever tell a customer it is a hobby, because in their eyes, the value of your fee goes down. If full time, remember this. I started out just doing repairs and new system builds for people. But with the advent of new systems in the $400 range, mine are $600 or better, and will never change due to quality and warranty, people will buy a new one rather than pay $150 to have it fixed. It is a false stigma in the minds of many people that their 2-3 year old system is "outdated". As a results I had to diversify into Web Design, networking, consulting, database migration etc etc, as any single one of these isn't going to pay the bills. BTW I wish I had one third of the systems people simply considered "outdated".

Good Luck to you....

Answer 2

depends upon how big your area is, I would go for about 50.00 hr but it depends upon if you have any credentials. I am a self taught computer tech (nerd for life) so if its that kind of situation then 50.00 is fair, that and you can count on repeat customers, but don't be shy to charge, that's the first issue I ran into when I started my business. let them know that your charge is hourly and what the charge is, partial hours round up to one hour. they WILL try and get your services for less, know what you are worth and don't let them bully you.

lmao at above price ranges, computer repair/tech support and such is never under 30.00 an hour. this I am assuming would be onsite work? you have to count travel and such into your price range. a very basic tech with minimul cred's is 75.00 an hour

if it is just tutoring then I would say minimum of 30.00 per hour, or work out a flat rate that doesnt leave you on the short end on the stick.

Answer 3

It depends where you are located, prices are higher in major metropolitan areas and lower in other areas. I would say charge whatever the market will bare. Here ( in the middle of nowhere Kansas ) that is about $20.00 an hour. That is what my son charges. He is a college student majoring in computer science. Best of luck to you...

Answer 4

call around and look in newspaper to see how much other people are charging and then pick a price that's somewhere in between but closer to the lowest price.
if the top price is $100 and lowest is $40 go with $50-$60 ish
you want to stay competitive but be cheaper then most so people will want to use you as your name gets around and you pick up more work then you can charge more

Answer 5

Use your consience to answer the question. st because Best Buy charge $100 per hour doesn't mean you should charge the same.

What do YOU feel your time and expertise is worth? Is it more important that you charge an amount that more people can afford so that you can provide they need? Then charge a more reasonable amount.

Answer 6

It depends on what you are doing. For something that is simple, you may not want to charge a lot, and you may want to charge more for somethimg more complicated. I would have a flat rate $10-20 an hour and then additional or no money depending on what you are doing.

Hope this helps!
Good Luck!

Answer 7

eh, start around 10 dollars an hour. But remember to see what you are getting yourself into. Some computer problems may be worth more, some less.

Answer 8

Ten dollars an hour sounds appropriate

Answer 9

20-25 per hour sounds fair I'd pay it.

Answer 10

7.50hr