Charged my neighbor $75 for a logo and she tipped me a lasagna
Everyone keeps saying you have to charge at least $500 for a brand identity, but I did my very first paid design job last Tuesday for my neighbor's food truck and I quoted her $75 because I was scared to ask for more. She came back with a check plus a tray of lasagna and told me her cousin wants to hire me for $600 next week. That lasagna was the tip off that I was pricing for my own nerves, not for the actual work. So my question is, when you raised your rate after your very first project, did you double it or just bump it a little? I want to hear what worked for other people starting out.
Notice how often this happens with stuff we're scared of doing for the first time, not just pricing. People lowball their rent to a roommate they like, sell a car for way less than it's worth because haggling makes them squirmy, keep charging the same babysitting rate from five years ago out of pure habit. The nerves set the price, then the actual market shows up and laughs at us (the cousin waving $600 around is basically the universe telling you what you're worth). Your lasagna was a sign that the work had real value beyond the awkward number you picked. Next time, name a price that makes you a little nervous saying out loud, then sit with it for a second before you cave.