I'm not a music consultant @p14n0m4n, but I think the tips you've written here are helpful to anyone who isn't sure about how to price their services.
For instance, I create WordPress websites for service based businesses.
I'm good at what I do, but I was charging way too low for my services.
I did that because I thought people wouldn't be able to afford my websites. I wanted to "help out" everyone at the expense of not getting paid for what my services were really worth.
I should have thought about the tip you wrote here, "Identify Your Goals".
I should have took the time to write down what my money goals were for my business to flourish before I took on clients at such low rates.
If I would have written those money goals then I think I would have been more confident to charge what my work was really worth.
I'm still learning though. I'm at the stage where I did charge someone more than I usually do, but the fee is still on the low end. Confidence is really a factor here. I need to have more confidence.
Hey, @whatrokusays I'm really glad that this article was helpful for you. The great news is that the consulting skillset is 100% transferable from industry to industry. How you implement or your market your skills may need to be tweaked but the fundamentals are the same.
It's okay to "help out" someone, but make sure they help you out too. You can use your first clients as portfolio examples so it's not the end of the world that you took on a client for a low rate. You easily turn an unprofitable deal into a profitable deal.
Tell me, did you build sites for these people or are you locked into a maintenance contract? I want to understand your situation so that I can give you solid advice.
Thanks @p14n0m4n.
In the beginning, when I was still learning, I didn't have any contracts in place. I just built websites for friends of mine and charged a low fee because we knew each other.
This was a mistake. More often than not, those friends of mine did need their websites to be maintained afterwards and it was an everlasting, "Help me with this please." scenario with no further pay for me.
I've learned my lesson since then though. Contracts are definitely needed when you work with others - whether you know them or not. And, you should definitely have a maintenance agreement in place too so everyone is clear on what your time and services are worth.
In the process of learning all this though, I've realized that I don't really like working on websites anymore. Or, maybe it's that I haven't found the right client yet?
It may be that you just haven't found the right client. There are definitely clients who expect the moon and it's difficult when they are family. What I would say is work out a maintenance contract and stick to the contract. Set clear guidelines. I don't mind answering questions in a text from a client but if it starts to be an everyday thing, I would probably call attention to it. You deserve to get paid. If I get called in to consult (even for five minutes), I bill at a half hour minimum. This reduces the "oh I just wanted to ask you about..." and you achieve a healthier balance between work and life