Monday, July 12, 2010

Choose a Freelance Web Developer Rate That is Fair

I worked for a web agency for almost 5 years before making the transition to a freelance web developer. Maybe you are in transition yourself and are trying to figure out at what rate you should be charging per hour. Like many other professionals (lawyers, accountants, etc.) you will want to have a competitive rate that is fair, yet will keep you profitable.

It is often difficult to choose an hourly rate because of the competition you have to deal with. Not only are you competing with web developers locally but all over the internet. Clients have the option of seeking web developers by just doing a search on the web. They even have the option to outsource to developers overseas.

Not only do you have to come up with a reasonable hourly rate but you have to prove why you are the best choice. Keeping this in mind, don't set your rate so low just to beat out your competition. It isn't fair to you. You want to make a profit. Here are the factors to consider when deciding what to charge:

1. How much do you want your yearly salary to be?

2. How many hours do you want to work per year?

3. How much overhead will you have (paying contractors, recurring bills, etc.)?

4. How much profit do you want to make?

There are many benefits to becoming a freelance web developer. For one thing, you choose your clients. You also choose your own hours and what type of work you want to do. You don't have a boss dictating how a project should be completed. There are also downsides to freelancing.

The primary downside is that if you're not careful, you may feel like you have traded one job for another. This is what happened to me. After several years, I stopped having fun. I was tired of seeking out new clients, chasing down payments for invoices, and meeting tight deadlines.

It started to feel like I was in the rat race all over again but this time, I worked longer hours. Being your own boss can be rewarding so long as your career doesn't feel like a job.

By : Eartha_Haines

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