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Freelance as a Service

letsworkshop.com

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Re: Freelance as a Service

#11

Post by robwilliams88 »

moron4hire wrote: post #10
jlinowski wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think customers want to buy YOUR time. They want to buy THEIR results for THEIR business with as less of your time as possible.

Depends on the service. Sometimes the service explicitly is my time. Tutoring, for example, or job candidate interviews. I didn't mention this in my first post, but I think I would emphasize that you're explicitly buying time with me, i.e. we'd be on Skype together, working through something. Pair programming for hire!

The benefit is never just time it's whatever is the outcome of how you spend your time. Id read the article

Re: Freelance as a Service

#12

Post by Paul_Dessert »

While posting your prices may seem like a good idea, I'd recommend not doing it in most cases. I say most cases, because I think it depends on the type of client you're going after.

In my experience, most clients that actually pay a fair amount of money are those that understand what their getting into. These clients understand that they'll be forking out $20k - $40k for a project. So, in these cases, posting prices is irrelevant. They just want the best person for the job. Your sales challenge will be elsewhere.

Now, if you're targeting the mom and pops in town and their average budget is $2k, then posting your price MIGHT help. BUT, this is simply a race to the bottom. If your rate for a project is $2k, but a competitor will do it for $1.5k, who will the budget minded client choose? Based off of the price alone, you've just scared away the client. You probably won't even get the opportunity of an in-person meeting.

Bottom line, choose your clients carefully. If they pick you because you're the cheapest, you might have bigger problems ahead of you...

Re: Freelance as a Service

#13

Post by fiatjaf »

moron4hire wrote: post #4

I've been considering setting up my website to be nothing but a work calendar, with empty blocks the visitor can buy. I'd have control to shut down unbought blocks if I want free time. I'd have some copy on what I do best, but essentially the customer could buy my time for anything they want, and could buy it right away.

As a customer, I would like to know what are you doing exactly and how much time do you need to do it (and, so, how much will you charge me for doing what I want).

A calendar does this.

Re: Freelance as a Service

#14

Post by jlinowski »

Paul_Dessert wrote: post #12

While posting your prices may seem like a good idea, I'd recommend not doing it in most cases. I say most cases, because I think it depends on the type of client you're going after. In my experience, most clients that actually pay a fair amount of money are those that understand what their getting into. These clients understand that they'll be forking out $20k - $40k for a project. So, in these cases, posting prices…

Sure. But the idea is to do a quick ice breaker project that can later turn into a larger one down the road. Hence in that case a $500 - $2000 structured project makes sense, I think.

Re: Freelance as a Service

#15

Post by shalmanese »

I've evaluated a lot of design portfolios in my life and it always amazes me how self-titled "User Experience" designers fail to apply the most basic UX process to their portfolios.

Stuff like defining who is the user, what are their needs, performing basic user research, establishing an information hierarchy and testing their designs against potential candidates.

It's been my experience that too many designers these days are more into the "fun stuff" of picking a color palette, creating awesome background textures, geeking out on CSS3 animations and other things that help enhance your dribbble profile at the detriment to applying themselves to the craft of design.

Re: Freelance as a Service

#16

Post by Paul_Dessert »

jlinowski wrote: post #14
Paul_Dessert wrote: post #12

While posting your prices may seem like a good idea, I'd recommend not doing it in most cases. I say most cases, because I think it depends on the type of client you're going after. In my experience, most clients that actually pay a fair amount of money are those that understand what their getting into. These clients understand that they'll be forking out $20k - $40k for a project. So, in these cases, posting prices…

Sure. But the idea is to do a quick ice breaker project that can later turn into a larger one down the road. Hence in that case a $500 - $2000 structured project makes sense, I think.

I used to work in the printing industry. I thought that if I got a small order, like a set of business cards, it would be a great way to break the ice. It almost never worked.

Businesses are in business to make money. If you can provide value (I'm not saying you can't) and they see an ROI on their money, they'll pay. They want a solution to their problem AND they want to work with someone they like and trust.

Re: Freelance as a Service

#17

Post by moron4hire »

robwilliams88 wrote: post #11
moron4hire wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Depends on the service. Sometimes the service explicitly is my time. Tutoring, for example, or job candidate interviews. I didn't mention this in my first post, but I think I would emphasize that you're explicitly buying time with me, i.e. we'd be on Skype together, working through something. Pair programming for hire!

The benefit is never just time it's whatever is the outcome of how you spend your time. Id read the article

You would? Go ahead then.

Re: Freelance as a Service

#18

Post by alalonde »

Paul_Dessert wrote: post #12

While posting your prices may seem like a good idea, I'd recommend not doing it in most cases. I say most cases, because I think it depends on the type of client you're going after. In my experience, most clients that actually pay a fair amount of money are those that understand what their getting into. These clients understand that they'll be forking out $20k - $40k for a project. So, in these cases, posting prices…

The difference is posting a price for your consulting product, which should be well-defined by the consultant and with a pre-determined scope and time budget. Every example mentioned is for a product.

For your typical client engagement, yes, you won't want to post prices. Unless your business is well-defined enough to be able to target specific types of clients, each with its own landing page and predictable project scope.

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