I am doing some tech support for a local small press newspaper. I haven’t had much experience with freelance work, and I was asked to come up with a fee for the work I will do. I don’t know what to ask for and need some opinions.
The job entails troubleshooting of Mac OS 9.1, OS 8.5.1, Windows 98, and a small amount of training in Photoshop and scanning. It may also include a complete re-install of software. I think that this can be done in a matter of a few days to a week, with about 4 hours invested per day, a very rough estimate.
Thoughts on what I should ask for in regards to fee?
Lots. Don’t know about you, but I seriously underestimated my “marketable skills”, as they say, when I was doing freelance stuff. 15-20$ per job is great for the people across the street, but I forgot that a 2 hr job at a downtown office requires 2x transportation, lunch, and travel time factored into it. (I felt embarrassed charging so much when I was only installing Client for Windows, or rebooting a router, but only you can tell what’s required when!)
Well, around here the shops charge between $65-95 an hour and I’ve known freelancers to charge anything from $45-120 (the guy witht he highest charge doesn’t get much work). It really depends on where you live. I’d call around to the local computer shops and ask what they charge (for house calls if they offer them) and go with the adverage.
Dive, I generally charge ad-hoc clients $80/hr excluding sales tax (GST). Clients with whom I have small service agreements (less than 10 hours per week) have been known to knock me down to $60/hr. One client who gave me 40 hours work a week had me as cheap as $25/hr.
I say start at your highest price point. Be reasonable. The more hours they are prepared to give you, the more flexible you can be. Determine the lowest price you are willing to accept. If they want to negotiate, go ahead and let them. Stand your ground if they push at your lowest point.
