Hit $5k in a single month for the first time and it messed with my head

I've been freelancing for about 18 months now doing graphic design work out of my apartment in Scarborough. Last month I hit $5,100 in billings which was way more than my previous best of $3,200. The weird part is I didn't even feel like I worked that much harder. I had three bigger projects come in back to back from repeat clients and one new referral who needed a rush job. It made me realize I've been undervaluing my time because I was scared to ask for more. Now I'm wondering if I should raise my rates across the board or if that was just a lucky month. Has anyone else had a big month and then struggled to figure out if it was sustainable?

3 comments

3 Comments

dakota_miller935d agoMost Upvoted

Right, so you're saying you hit over 5k because you had three bigger projects lined up from repeat clients. But that's not really about undervaluing your time or being scared to ask for more. It sounds like you just got lucky with the timing of those projects all coming in at once. Raising your rates across the board based on one good month is a risky move. You need a few months of consistent numbers like that before you start changing your whole pricing structure.

charlie1985d ago

Nah man, that was a lucky month. Give it a couple more before you start changing stuff.

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kevin_williams5d ago

You know, I used to be all for raising rates after one good month (thought I was playing it smart), but honestly this made me rethink that whole approach - you're right that consistency matters way more than a single spike.