Why I think new freelancers should not cut their prices

Everyone says to lower your rates when you're starting out to get more work. I found that doing this made me tired and brought in clients who were hard to please. Shouldn't we ask for what we're worth from the beginning?

4 comments

4 Comments

matthewl671mo ago

I charged $15 an hour for my first freelance gig and got burned out fast. Now I see setting real rates filters for clients who respect your work.

the_elizabeth29d ago

Notice this happens everywhere, not just freelancing. People treat cheap stuff like it's disposable. Buy a ten dollar toaster, you'll slam it around. Buy a hundred dollar one, you handle it with care. Same with your time. Charge little, they see your work as something to use up and throw away.

uma_jenkins311mo ago

Low rates scream 'I'm desperate'. Matthew, that line about rates filtering clients hits home. I once took a cheap job and the client kept asking for endless changes, like expecting a full website rewrite for $50. @logan_anderson40 has a point that some low paying clients can be cool, but in my experience, they're rare. When I doubled my rates, the requests became more clear and respectful. It's like charging more makes people see your time as valuable. Sure, finding balance takes time, but starting too low just trains clients to treat you badly.

logan_anderson401mo ago

Wait, does charging less always lead to terrible clients? I've seen friends start low and still land awesome projects! Some clients are just hard to please, no matter what you charge. It might not be as serious as you think. Finding the right balance is key, and that takes time!