Book excerpt
How to price your freelance design work
Am I charging enough? It's the question every freelance designer wrestles with. This excerpt from Creative Freedom shares what happened when we stopped guessing and got deliberate about pricing, real numbers included.
From Part 3: Quotes and pricing
Pricing your services can be tricky. You might wonder, am I charging enough? Am I charging too much? Will I lose business if I increase my prices? Getting your pricing right is crucial. Otherwise, you might end up doing too much work for too little, or not getting enough quotes accepted.
Don't price too low. Review your pricing regularly
While offering a discount can help you get started, once you've got quotes being accepted, it's time to start thinking about whether you're charging enough. Undercharging is one of the most common traps for freelancers, so we recommend reviewing your pricing every few months.
In the early days, we were nervous about putting our prices up. We worried we might scare people off. But once we had more work than we could handle, it became clear we were too cheap. Some of our price increases were pretty bold, almost double in one case, but most clients didn't blink. Because they'd come through word of mouth, they already trusted us. As long as the quote felt fair, price wasn't really questioned. I don't remember a single client saying, "Why is this more than what my friend paid?"
One tip that helped us fine-tune our pricing was tracking our quote acceptance rate. If most quotes were being accepted and our workload was bursting at the seams, that was a signal to raise prices. When we did, we ended up doing fewer projects, but earning more overall. Over time, we found our sweet spot was around a 50% acceptance rate.
| What changed | Before (pricing lower) | After (pricing higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Quotes accepted | 76% | 50% |
| Web design revenue | $153k | $232k |
| Number of projects | Lots | Fewer |
| Time available | Always stretched | Finally breathing |
| Pressure level | High | Manageable |
| Work quality | Rushed | Considered |
| Stress level | Constant | Occasional |
| End-of-day feeling | Exhausted | Satisfied |
Raising our prices didn't just improve our income. It gave us breathing room to focus on quality. We weren't rushing to finish projects or quietly resenting all the extra hours from underquoting. We had the space to do great work, which ultimately made for happier clients and a stronger portfolio.
At a recent designer meetup, Rocketspark CEO Grant Johnson talked about project pricing with a designer who was doing great work and creating value for clients. Afterwards, the designer messaged to say:
"Great seeing you the other day. Thanks for all the advice. Sent out a quote earlier in the week and added an extra $800 than I would normally charge and it was accepted!"
It was just a little nudge from Grant to be bold and review pricing which helped this designer to create a more viable business.
Enjoy this section? Grab your copy of Creative Freedom & continue reading.
The full chapter covers deposits, progress payments, how to structure your quotes, and the terms that protect your time. Every copy also includes the Creative Freedom resource pack, with templates for quoting, terms and conditions, forecasting, and project management.
A field guide for running a graphic design business. From the founders of Rocketspark
What Creative Freedom will give back to you as a graphic designer
Build the right mindset for freelancing
Understand your value as a designer
Set yourself up for success from day one