Spent 6 months quoting flat rates until a client laughed at me

I was doing logo design for $50 a pop no matter what. Thought that was just how it worked. Then a guy named Dave from a bakery in Nashville asked for a full brand package and I said $50. He literally laughed and said 'you know people charge like $500 for that right?' That's when I realized I had been pricing every single job the same no matter how much work was involved. Has anyone else just not known you're supposed to charge more for bigger projects?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_rose1d ago

Wait, I have to call this out. So you did logos for $50, got laughed at by one guy, and now you're acting like you discovered fire. Bigger projects needing bigger prices, that's just basic math. I mean, did you really think a 12-page brand guide should cost the same as a simple circle with text inside? The bakery guy did you a favor, but let's not pretend this is some mind-blowing revelation. Most people figure this out after like three freelance gigs, not six months of losing money.

park.aaron1d agoRising Star

Nah I used to think a logo was a logo and price should just be flat across the board. That bakery guy really flipped a switch in my head though. @the_rose you're right that bigger work needs bigger prices, but some of us had to learn that the hard way before it stuck. For six months I was literally just guessing at numbers and hoping for the best. That one embarrassing meeting was what finally made me step back and map out actual rates based on scope, not just vibes.

park.aaron1d agoRising Star

Lmao same here, I had a whole year where I was just throwing numbers at clients and hoping they didn't walk away. Actually got paid $100 for a full brand identity once because I had no clue what to charge. That bakery story hits way too close to home.