How much?

[RJones]

I am not a FM Pro by any means but I do good work with what I know and I am still learning more every day. I currently am our companies SQl, Informix database admin and recently our FM Pro 5 "guru", so I do have databasing experience. I have recently picked up a job on the side to produce a FM database for a small company. I do not want to charge too much nor do I want to undercharge. I am not sure how to go about coming up with something fair. I also feel that I need to get a "Gold Star" so that they pass on a good word for me since this is only my first job. I have been in the IT field for a few years now but I have never done anything on the side like this, so this is new to me. Any suggestions?

[markpro]

That's a tough question. The answer is dependent on a number of factors.

First, are you working on a specific application which they own the rights to? If so, you should set a realistic hourly rate taking into consideration your needs and that it may be awhile before you find work again, once you have completed this project.

Second, your market. If you are building an application on a flat rate, what market potential do you have. You say you are dealing with small businesses. I have found that with most small businesses you are dealing with the owner, or at least a "stake holder". It is usually much harder for people to spend money when it is their own money. It depends on the application however , and the value the place on it whether real, or perceived.

I could go on forever, but this should give you some insight into the thought process you must go through.

Final thought, if you are stumbling upon this work by accident, then imagine the opportunity if you were actually trying. Don't sell yourself short... just make sure you deliver!

[Chuck]

Truthfully, it's an experimental process, or at least it has been for me. When I first started doing independent work, I charged $45/hr. I found I was in great demand at that rate for the area I work in (Southern CA), so I began to slowly raise my rates. They're now pretty standard, and don't fluctuate. To give specifics, I charge $120 for primary work (work where I am in direct contact with the actual user) and $60/hr for sub-contract work, which is actually the bulk of my work.

Also try checking around in your geographic area and see what others are charging for similar work. After you find the answer from three people, take the average of them.

If you plan to do this full time, then some more analysis might be in order. Decide how much you would like to make annually from this type of work, calculate how much doing such work will cost you for that year, figure out how many hours you anticipate you can work and bill per year (or per week), and then calculate what you would need to charge to get that total.

Chuck

[Anatoli]

quote:

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Originally posted by Chuck:

Truthfully, it's an experimental process, or at least it has been for me. When I first started doing independent work, I charged $45/hr. I found I was in great demand at that rate for the area I work in (Southern CA), so I began to slowly raise my rates. They're now pretty standard, and don't fluctuate. To give specifics, I charge $120 for primary work (work where I am in direct contact with the actual user) and $60/hr for sub-contract work, which is actually the bulk of my work.

Also try checking around in your geographic area and see what others are charging for similar work. After you find the answer from three people, take the average of them.

If you plan to do this full time, then some more analysis might be in order. Decide how much you would like to make annually from this type of work, calculate how much doing such work will cost you for that year, figure out how many hours you anticipate you can work and bill per year (or per week), and then calculate what you would need to charge to get that total.

Chuck

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Chuck,

if you cannot manage some of the $60 work, throw that at me for $40

Anatoli