As a self employed individual, it is important that I bring in the income that sustains myself and my family. I don’t have a regular paycheck that I can depend on each week, so I have to make sure that my blogging, freelancing, and consulting efforts pay the bills. As a natural “helper”, I am used to assisting others with their goals, but that doesn’t put money in the bank, right?
So how do you know how to determine what you are worth and charge for it?
I am not an expert in this area, so please don’t refer to this when looking to assess what to charge people for your services. The point, though, is for you to charge for your services. It is okay for you to give out free help and advice, but when it becomes time consuming and more like work, then yes—there should be a charge for that.
One of the things that prevented me from making money in the past in terms of my blog and my consulting was I was scared to ask people for money—scared to give my rates because I would run off the potential client. But after going through months and months of scraping by, I learned to be assertive and not be prideful. If you want a blog post or a ghost writing assignment, or a freelance article, then pay me.
It’s my time, it’s my work, and I deserve to be paid. Once you know what you are worth, then you don’t have a problem charging for it.
You wouldn’t go into an office and work for your boss and company for free—you want to be compensated for the work you put it. And when you are self employed, the same is true. Just because you may not have a brick and mortar office doesn’t mean you don’t have overhead and expenses—and it doesn’t mean you can work for free.
One of the questions I get most is “how can I start blogging professionally to make money?” My answer—charge for your services. Charge for your space—don’t run free ads or free advertising for companies; magazines don’t do it, television stations don’t do it; why should you?
The moral of the story is that blogging is a business—and if you want to make money, you have to treat it like one. Knowing what you are worth and charging for it is the first step in your success.
Thank you for sharing this. I have been in this type of situation before and I will never allow it to happen again. And this goes for family and friends too. I cook and many of them think its ok to ask me to cook elaborate meals for them, but get upset when I ask to be paid….hey fair is fair. But the sad part is many are willing to pay ‘others’ but not you.
Tenia, no problem. I speak to people like you often and this has been an issue most self employed individuals face. The family component adds more fire into the mix as well. I will be writing about that next week. Thanks for commenting.
Absolutely! Though I have a full time job, I’m not trying to be there forever and have a date I plan to retire 😉
So even then, it’s important to “act as if” I sustain myself on my secondary income so it will be easier to jump ship when it’s time.
I think a lot of people have problems with this initially and this post is an excellent one to help people understand that their time time is valuable!
“It’s my time, it’s my work, and I deserve to be paid” – LOVE IT!
I definitely needed to reread and in-bead this information into my brain. I am always ready to work regardless of getting paid but I am selling myself short. Time out for this and I have a new outlook on being a business woman. If someone does not want to pay for my GOOD services then they can go get sub par services elsewhere.
This is an excellent post and as I said over at masterminds- I was cheering before I read it.
This issue is horrid, and it goes along with the “deadbeat” problem we also often see. I cannot tell you how many times I have had to chat with people for hours, just to convince them to get a contract. Get it in writing. Get a deposit. People are genuinely afraid of those things- but if you’re dealing with a professional, they’ll get it. If you aren’t? No loss.
Loved It! You are so right. My time is worth the same as someone working in an office or a factory. I should charge accordingly!
The only problem is I feel like I’m asking for money (well, I am)! And I don’t like that feeling. I need to change my mindset about this.
Great article,
Tammy
CC, Thanks for this article. Straight talk and spot-on advice. I remember years ago, I started a massage therapy clinic and it was my first time working for myself. It was so difficult for me to tell people my hourly rate, but that insecurity came through and made me seem like I wasn’t proficient.
When I learned that the service I provided really improved the health of those I treated, I learned that my ability had value and I wasn’t afraid to promote it.
Later, I learned my value (independent of my occupation or position) and that was another lesson all together! It was probably backwards, but I learned it, so it’s all good now.
Thanks for a great reminder in your post today!
Great post, Danyelle! I know that I had the biggest trouble for the longest time even mentioning anything that sounded remotely like a pitch. I did book reviews that I had an affiliate link for, and in the review, I didn’t even link once for fear of being too pushy. (I think that this was an overreaction to some of the overly pushy people who I ran into when I started in business, and those who told me that I should be pushy and do the Three Foot Rule.) Then, I realized that I was screwing myself, so now I remember the 90/10 rule. It’s not ABC-Always Be Closing like in the movie Glengarry Glen Ross, but it isn’t NBC-Never Be Closing, either.
I am a real estate agent in Atlanta and used a virtual assistant to ghost write for me and I did not mind paying her for what she asked for.
I can really relate to this. I’m a natural “helper” as well, so I find myself giving away way too much free advice b/c I want to see others do well. I feel good about helping them but my pockets don’t feel good, ya know. I’ve also been in the position of undercutting my rates b/c I thought I would lose out on the client if I charged a higher rate. Of course, I only ended up cheating myself, because I still had to do the work, but wasn’t adequately compensated. I have since had to lose out on a few clients, but I feel better in knowing that I did right by myself.
First I want to say thanx for showing the love. I really enjoyed reading this, mainly due to the fact it’s exactly what we discussed while you were in getting your service. This holds true even for my profession. With my extra training and products it took me a while to say what I wanted for my services and how to say it with out being squimish. Time is money, and if it costs you time, then it charging a fee is only right. It sets boundaries and lets people know that hey, this is a business…treat it as such.
Great article. I’m going to share this until the wheels fall off!
Princess Dominique, thanks for reading. And yes, please do share! LOL.