So, to bill by hour or by project, that’s the question, and although the answer you are anticipating will have to wait until a future blog post. In this posting, I will weigh in with the pros and cons of each and maybe you can decide which one is better. In the next one, I will characterize the clients that often come through my door. With those two factors in the equation, you can attempt to predict which billing is preferable. Clients – big or small – want to have a pretty good idea of the price of the project, before they begin. It also serves a client well to have an approximate project price, as most savvy clients will tend to shop around. Giving a price per project, makes the most sense. But, as most professionals are aware, you can severely undercharge (and undervalue) your services. When developing a fixed/project rate, the contract will include how many rounds of editing/proofing/changes that may be able to be done within the project. Additionally, at a fixed rate, you have a little more power to charge a “premium” should the customer want the job completed immediately, or you have more freedom and time, the rate can be reduced. When billing hourly, you will still have to give a quote. Hourly rates scare off clients. So when developing a quote, the customer will need to know that the quote IS based on an hourly rate. And, if the project goes over budget, the client will need to know the billing rate. Stated clearly in a contract, it keeps the customer from constantly changing copy; from asking 10 friends to look at the item, etc. Also, when billing hourly, you can adjust rates: XX$ consultation X$ design work That’s in a nutshell the pros and cons of fixed rates versus hourly rates. In my next entry, I will discuss “sizing up a client” and the benefits of charging a fee for consultation.