Freelancing and talking money

[miss direct]

I get approached with offers of work via social media quite a bit these days. However, sometimes people can't afford my hourly rate and I don't want to waste either of our time. How early is too early to mention money? There's someone who wants a video meeting tomorrow..

How do other people deal with this?

One guy wanted to pay me £5 an hour for private exam prep lessons...

 

[MickiQ]

I get approached with offers of work via social media quite a bit these days. However, sometimes people can't afford my hourly rate and I don't want to waste either of our time. How early is too early to mention money? There's someone who wants a video meeting tomorrow..

How do other people deal with this?

One guy wanted to pay me £5 an hour for private exam prep lessons...

Immediately is the answer, I'm self-employed and one of the first questions I ask is what sort of rate are we talking here? You're (I presume) running a business if people can't afford you then it best they know up front.

 

[Nivag]

Definitely best being up front with your rates, saves everyone's time going forward.

 

[miss direct]

Thank you, that's what I just replied. It gets a bit complicated working with people in different countries but hey, I'm not a charity.

 

[salem]

What is it you're doing. I do web stuff and will usually try and get a sense of budget early on and make sure we're in the same ballpark.

It's in everyone's favour to not waste time by pissing about. The other party will be keen to know the price too.

 

[miss direct]

Teaching and training teachers and content creation and consulting. Bits and bobs of those.

 

[Riklet]

Maybe have a copy and past paragraph with what you offer and rates, but if you feel the need add that exceptions could be made depending on the circumstances etc.

 

[miss direct]

oh do you know what, I was out of character and just told this guy my typical hourly rate, and he accepted it. So that taught me a lesson!

 

[Puddy_Tat]

One guy wanted to pay me £5 an hour for private exam prep lessons...

How do other people deal with this?

unless there were special circumstances, like guy was in a country where this is a reasonable rate and / or the exchange rate is dire, i think i'd deal with that by laughing...

 

[editor]

I get approached with offers of work via social media quite a bit these days. However, sometimes people can't afford my hourly rate and I don't want to waste either of our time. How early is too early to mention money? There's someone who wants a video meeting tomorrow..

How do other people deal with this?

One guy wanted to pay me £5 an hour for private exam prep lessons...

I find the 'softest' way to bring this up is to ask what kind of budget they're looking to spend in your services. That way they've got to come up with a figure and you'll know straight away if they're a pisstaker/dreamer/not worth the effort straight away.

 

[two sheds]

Alternatively I asked a plumber for some work recently and described what I thought I needed doing (he then told me what he actually needed to do). He then gave me a quote which was natural way to start the job and we didn't really even need to discuss hourly rates - do however need to say as soon as possible if the job and therefore estimate changes.

 

[BristolEcho]

If I am looking for a service I usually want to be told roughly how much it is going to cost. Either up front or if I've given a rough idea of what I need. I hate it when I am asked what my budget is etc as it makes me feel I might offend or be ripped off as I likely don't have a clue.

 

[JimW]

Yes, straight to the point is best though often in first contact with a local potential client I'll just say I'm a lot more expensive than the agencies here and not give a specific rate unless they still want to proceed.

 

[Supine]

First conversation!

Determine your worth now. Revise it up and down as you go depending on experience and the state of the economy.

 

[han]

I agree, this is something that needs to be discussed immediately, so no one's wasting each others time. Editor's idea of asking what kind of budget they have is a good one as well.

I've got a policy of not working for less than my hourly rate, but what I will do is a kind of skills exchange, where we don't involve £ but we exchange our skills. For example, I'm getting some personal training off someone who I'm doing a website for.

So, perhaps that's something you could consider if you want to do the job but they can't pay anything or much.

 

[two sheds]

First conversation!

Determine your worth now. Revise it up and down as you go depending on experience and the state of the economy.

and (particularly) how much work you've got on. Young bloke up the road from me who's a star does gardening work for £30 an afternoon (so £7.50 an hour). It is Cornwall but he's really good at his job and he's rushed off his feet all the time.

Fair enough for pensioners who can't afford any more but he charges rich fuckers the same. I keep telling him to put up his rates (starting with the rich fuckers) and tried to pay him £10 an hour when he did some for me but he refused it.

 

[Argonia]

How are things for you now, miss direct ? You have left Turkey for good? Back in Britain? Doing teaching?

 

[Leafster]

and (particularly) how much work you've got on. Young bloke up the road from me who's a star does gardening work for £30 an afternoon (so £7.50 an hour). It is Cornwall but he's really good at his job and he's rushed off his feet all the time.

Fair enough for pensioners who can't afford any more but he charges rich fuckers the same. I keep telling him to put up his rates (starting with the rich fuckers) and tried to pay him £10 an hour when he did some for me but he refused it.

The gardener who does several of the gardens in my road charges £35 per hour and he's not even very good!

 

[miss direct]

How are things for you now, miss direct ? You have left Turkey for good? Back in Britain? Doing teaching?

I am back in the UK and it's been a year now. Moving back was never really my intention unless I landed a decent permanent contract, but that hasn't happened. I'm working solely online and waiting for my home purchase to go through.

I'd never say never. If there were no covid, in an ideal world I'd spend half the year in the UK and half in Turkey - since I work online, that would be possible. But with travel restrictions that's impossible at the moment.

 

[Argonia]

I am back in the UK and it's been a year now. Moving back was never really my intention unless I landed a decent permanent contract, but that hasn't happened. I'm working solely online and waiting for my home purchase to go through.

I'd never say never. If there were no covid, in an ideal world I'd spend half the year in the UK and half in Turkey - since I work online, that would be possible. But with travel restrictions that's impossible at the moment.

Hope you're getting some good students