Costs for Web and Graphic Design

[Guitar Gamer]

I'm going to be launching my web and graphic design business within the next couple of weeks. I'm almost entirely prepared - have professionally printed business cards, flyers, contracts, accounting software, registered business name, etc. But, I'm not sure if my prices are good enough? Let me know what you would pay for professional design.

My starting price for a website is $400 (CAD) which includes the complete graphical design, a homepage, 7 content pages, 20 digital/photo scans an I also offer optional components + hosting solutions for additional costs.

Also if anyone here knows a thing or two about business and have some tips or useful information on what one needs when starting please let me know.

[Zach]

It really depends on the job you are doing.

Some web developers charge for a package. And maybe have extra charges for special customizations to the package.

Others work on an hourly contract, and some negotiate the fee at the time the contract is setup with a perspective client.

my friend Alex Taylor does web design too (hes also in Canada), www.alextaylor.org

You could ask him for advice probably.
I've done so in the past

[Guitar Gamer]

Thanks for the link. I'll check into that. Which also reminds me that after I've completed the work outlined in the plan, if the client wishes for additional things to be done I charge by the hour - $20/hr. I also do logo design, business cards, brochures, letterheads, banners, posters, flyers, etc. (yadda yadda' - all that type of stuff, you know what I mean)

[onewecallgod]

Good luck with it

[Guitar Gamer]

Thank-you. I do take this very seriously. I want to make this my career in the future. So, I'm being careful that I don't give myself a bad reputation from day one. Gotta' be the best one can be under all circumstances. No making a fool of myself.

[Zach]

Just remember. Do not take more than you can handle at one time.
If you don't know this limit, pick a very conservative number.

The worst thing you can do is tell 10 people "ok I can do this!" and then have them all knocking down your door for their finished web site at the same time.

[Guitar Gamer]

I know what you mean. I'll have to restrain from sucumbing to my horrible "Can't say NO' disease. But, on the brighter side, if I have enough people calling to have to say no to, then I know I will have been succesful at starting my business... well... until I'm done sites and need more to do... :P

[GenmaC]

One of my client is a graphic design artist/web designer and charges 100 and up per hour.

I do support and coding work, as he generally doesn't handle those issues:

Administration: $15/hr
Coding: $20-30/hr
Advanced Support: $75-100/hr

[Guitar Gamer]

Wow. He must be really established to charge prices like that - and very good for that matter. I hope I can charge such prices one day. *sigh* ... to dream

... such mental masturbation :P
I think I'll stick to starting for now *thwacks self for thinking much to far ahead*

None the less thanks for that info. It gives me an idea of what high end designers charge. *thumbs up*

[Badger]

Just what the world needs, another web design company. Truth be told, there isn't much money in the IT/Multimedia sector anymore (wel in Britain anyway). The majority of people that make the big money are the people who were up and established before the market became saturated with 'specialists'.