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Ask YC: What are the going rates for consulting gigs?

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Re: Ask YC: What are the going rates for consulting gigs?

#51
post #49

I don't know why people are dancing around this issue. I'll name some dollar amounts for you. As a LAMP consultant, I charged $100/hr. USD take-home and worked W-2. I'm now looking to get into independent (non-W2) consulting and will be charging from $50-$100/hr. USD on a sliding scale based on the type of work and the ability of the client to pay. Not all small businesses can pony up $100/hr., but mid-to-large corpo…

Here are my numbers: I do project management, usability, and generally make sure everything is on track - so it might not be exactly what you're looking for. But for what it's worth I charge $150 an hour, and can be negotiated down to around $100 if it's more than 2-300 hours. My experience is that you shouldn't sell yourself too cheaply, since your customers then will regard you as being not very good at what you do…

You said,

"My experience is that you shouldn't sell yourself too cheaply"

and

"can be negotiated down to around $100"

My experience is that I don't negotiate. About half my prospects offer something lower. I usually say something like, "I don't compromise my rates and I don't compromise my work." Most of them accept. But it's OK, even if they don't. Just never allow yourself to be in the position where you have to negotiate because you need the gig so badly.

Re: Ask YC: What are the going rates for consulting gigs?

#52
post #47
post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>He said he had a friend who owned a pawn shop with a computer Unethical to aid a pawn shop, especially if you are a Christian. But hey, who am I to judge. Edit: pawn shops are unethical from a Christian viewpoint, as they charge interest. And the parent said he was doing Bible study. But again, who am I to give advice on such topics as an heathen. Just downmod and show me I'm wrong.

Come on guys - modding down is OK, but -12? It's an opinion, not a charge on someones children.

[deleted]

Re: Ask YC: What are the going rates for consulting gigs?

#53
post #47
post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>He said he had a friend who owned a pawn shop with a computer Unethical to aid a pawn shop, especially if you are a Christian. But hey, who am I to judge. Edit: pawn shops are unethical from a Christian viewpoint, as they charge interest. And the parent said he was doing Bible study. But again, who am I to give advice on such topics as an heathen. Just downmod and show me I'm wrong.

Come on guys - modding down is OK, but -12? It's an opinion, not a charge on someones children.

Wow, I'm surprised too. I'm betting it's not the normal crowd -- or it has grown much larger over the past month?

Re: Ask YC: What are the going rates for consulting gigs?

#54
post #39
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Network, network, network, network, network! (Sorry, I cannot overemphasize this.) You are your own marketing department. All the time. No, you don't have to be one of those Amway pests, but don't be afraid to say what you do and to volunteer your opinion about something computer related. You're not doing it to get business; you're doing it because that's who you are. Even if nothing happens now, it could 6 months la…

>He said he had a friend who owned a pawn shop with a computer Unethical to aid a pawn shop, especially if you are a Christian. But hey, who am I to judge. Edit: pawn shops are unethical from a Christian viewpoint, as they charge interest. And the parent said he was doing Bible study. But again, who am I to give advice on such topics as an heathen. Just downmod and show me I'm wrong.

"It should be noted that no ethically-trained software engineer would ever consent to write a DestroyBaghdad procedure. Basic professional ethics would instead require him to write a DestroyCity procedure, to which Baghdad could be given as a parameter."

http://www.guppylake.com/~nsb/pithy.html

:-) [This is a joke. I have no comment about the issue being discussed.]

Re: Ask YC: What are the going rates for consulting gigs?

#56
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Come on guys - modding down is OK, but -12? It's an opinion, not a charge on someones children.

Wow, I'm surprised too. I'm betting it's not the normal crowd -- or it has grown much larger over the past month?

Really - what is going on here? -29 for some batty comment about Christians and pawn shops? I would have voted it down to -1 too, but come on folks. We've always reserved big downvotes only for offensive, insulting trolls, not things that were in some way "wrong". A -1 or 0 is sufficient to indicate that.

Re: Ask YC: What are the going rates for consulting gigs?

#57
post #39
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Network, network, network, network, network! (Sorry, I cannot overemphasize this.) You are your own marketing department. All the time. No, you don't have to be one of those Amway pests, but don't be afraid to say what you do and to volunteer your opinion about something computer related. You're not doing it to get business; you're doing it because that's who you are. Even if nothing happens now, it could 6 months la…

>He said he had a friend who owned a pawn shop with a computer Unethical to aid a pawn shop, especially if you are a Christian. But hey, who am I to judge. Edit: pawn shops are unethical from a Christian viewpoint, as they charge interest. And the parent said he was doing Bible study. But again, who am I to give advice on such topics as an heathen. Just downmod and show me I'm wrong.

So Christians don't use credit cards?

Re: Ask YC: What are the going rates for consulting gigs?

#58
post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow, I'm surprised too. I'm betting it's not the normal crowd -- or it has grown much larger over the past month?

Really - what is going on here? -29 for some batty comment about Christians and pawn shops? I would have voted it down to -1 too, but come on folks. We've always reserved big downvotes only for offensive, insulting trolls, not things that were in some way "wrong". A -1 or 0 is sufficient to indicate that.

This is not just wrong, but stupid. You don't have to be well versed in Christianity to know that most Christian sects have long since rethought their positions on usury. Most Christians take offense when people insinuate that they still believe in Geocentrism or something like that and this is very similar.

But you are right, the comment is rather batty and I don't think the fellow meant anything by it.

Re: Ask YC: What are the going rates for consulting gigs?

#59
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry, what? Pawn shops are unethical?

For a Christian, they are, as they charge interest. And the parent said he was doing Bible study.

Very few Christians take that stance on interest today. Most haven't for at least 400 years.

Re: Ask YC: What are the going rates for consulting gigs?

#60
post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>He said he had a friend who owned a pawn shop with a computer Unethical to aid a pawn shop, especially if you are a Christian. But hey, who am I to judge. Edit: pawn shops are unethical from a Christian viewpoint, as they charge interest. And the parent said he was doing Bible study. But again, who am I to give advice on such topics as an heathen. Just downmod and show me I'm wrong.

So Christians don't use credit cards?

It's the atheists that are causing the economy to collapse by buying houses they can't afford and maxing out their credit cards! God is punishing them, finally!!11!

Oh wait, you mean most people in the US identify as Christians, and they're the ones having problems? I see.

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