Should I charge per project or per hour for my first logo design?

I just got asked to make a logo for a local coffee shop and they said my hourly rate of $40 seemed high, but when I quoted a flat $200 they accepted it right away. Now I'm worried I might have left money on the table if the revisions take forever. Anyone else struggle with choosing between hourly and project pricing for that first gig?

3 comments

3 Comments

garcia.wren5d ago

Oh man I did the exact same thing with my first real client. Quoted $250 for a logo and they jumped on it so fast I knew I sold myself short. Took like 8 rounds of revisions over two weeks and I was basically working for minimum wage by the end. Learned the hard way that project pricing is a gamble when you don't know how picky they'll be. Now I always have a clause in my contract that says 3 rounds of revisions included and anything after that is charged hourly.

the_cameron5d ago

So @garcia.wren, how many hours did you actually end up putting in on that $250 logo?

oliver_baker495d ago

Garcia.wren you're spot on about that revisions trap, but I think you're being a little generous with the "minimum wage" math. At $250 with 8 rounds over two weeks, even at just 10 hours total that's $25 an hour, which is better than most fast food gigs around here. Not saying you shouldn't charge more, just saying the numbers don't add up to that low.