Business contemplations.

[ysobelle]

So for those of you who sew or craft, how much do you bill out at hourly?

Comments

[daemionfox.livejournal.com]

Somewhere between 10 and 15/hour before markup. Roughly.

Now ask me if I get paid...

[ysobelle.livejournal.com]

Before mark-up?

And Jesus, man-- what the hell? I thought _I_ was underbilling myself!

Hey

[fondor.livejournal.com]

Pretty much the same. It depends on what I'm figuring. Wholesale work for others, myself, Retail repair work etc.

Re: Hey

[ysobelle.livejournal.com]

You'd bill $15 an hour for retail work?

Re: Hey

[fondor.livejournal.com]

No, As Bronxelf says below, what you charge needs to be based on what you need to make a living. It also can vary based on the work itself on occasion. I charge more to impolite customers and for items I don't like doing. For fairly mindless work that I still need to do myself I will downgrade the charge a bit. The whole thing wanders around a bit.

Go backwards.

[bronxelf-ag001.livejournal.com]

A good way to do this is to work it backwards.

a) how much money do you need to make a month to cover all expenses? Great. Add 20%.

b) divide this amount by the number of hours you plan to work.

c) get total.

d) charge accordingly.

Re: Go backwards.

[ysobelle.livejournal.com]

But then doesn't your rate change according to how much work you have?

Re: Go backwards.

[bronxelf-ag001.livejournal.com]

No. Your rate is based on the idea that you're working full time. If you're not, you need to find more work, not up your rates.

[monimina.livejournal.com]

While not sewing, I do faux painting and scenic art, and when freelancing for any skilled labor, and this is only the labor, and does not include seperately billed design work, I don't go below 20-25 an hour unless it's a favor. The very lowest I've ever charged was 10/hr, and that was years ago, and I learned my lesson even then. You're performing skilled labor, you deserved to be paid as such.

[hennabee.livejournal.com]

I used to do art-for-hire as well for SCAdians and various other things (a few tattoo sketches) and at that time I generally charged about $20-$30 for a drawing. At that point I was also pretty much homeless, though, and so didn't need to pay bills. Gas for the car and food for me was about it.
These days I would definitely charge by the hour as it usually took me about an hour to do a mockup, get approval, then draw the finished piece.

The last time I did anything it was a watercolor about a year ago for a gal at work that I enjoyed talking with. I only charged her $25 for it, but after she made me repaint it a third time to suit her tastes (it was only slightly tweaked from the first two times) I started to think that I had definitely underquoted my time and supplies.

The dress was definitely worth $5000 hon.

[42redmonkeys.livejournal.com]

I charge 10 - 15 per hour for all my sewing work, (pattern drafting, grommet setting and all that shtuff)....but then I give discounts and take "payments" of things other than money.

so many rennies are broke...or save their money for ale....

[smileitsme.livejournal.com]

Depending upon your skill level, $15 to $25 is normal, I would think for what you are doing. More per hour if you are very talented, and esp. more if what you are creating is difficult. This would be if it's your only source of income.

For side work, $10 to $20 is fair.

Heck, you went to school for this! You ARE talented. You are creating.

Of course, price breaks to family & friends! :-) LOL *mwah*

[invizibleangel.livejournal.com]

I get $15 a peice doing kids costumes for my boss. But that $15 is to pay for my time AND materials, so i have to keep these real simple and be a good shopper.