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I used to think flat rates were a scam for freelancers, but then I tracked my actual time
Back in 2022 I was dead set against flat rates. I charged by the hour for everything because I thought clients would squeeze me for free work. Then I took a logo project for $600 from a local coffee shop in Portland. I logged every minute and finished it in 11 hours, which came out to about $54 an hour. My usual hourly rate was $40, so I actually made more. I still hate flat rates for complex jobs, but for simple work with clear limits they can pay way better. Has anyone else tracked their real hourly earnings after switching?
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kimdixon2mo ago
Yeah, I had the same experience. Did a flat rate website for a bakery and ended up making way more than my hourly rate because I knew exactly what the scope was. The trick is being super clear about what's included and what's not. I write it all out in the contract now, like exactly how many revisions and what counts as a revision. For anything where the client can keep adding stuff, hourly is still the only safe way to go.
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finley_roberts272mo ago
Man, the revision thing is everything. You said "exactly how many revisions and what counts as a revision" and that's the part people mess up. I learned the hard way with a local restaurant logo. I thought "three revisions" meant three big changes, but they counted every single email back and forth as a revision. Now I write it out really specific too, like "first draft, first round of changes, final polish" and anything outside that is hourly. Your bakery story sounds spot on, those small biz owners usually have a clear vision and just need it executed. But yeah, hourly for anything where scope can drift is the only way to not get burned.
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jamesc792mo ago
There was this freelancer podcast I heard a while back where a guy talked about how he tracks his flat rate jobs on a whiteboard next to his desk. He said the real key is not just knowing the scope but knowing your own speed. He found that after a few flat rate projects, he could look at a job and ballpark it within a few hours of the actual time. The coffee shop logo story sounds about right, those small local places usually know what they want and don't mess around with endless changes. I think the problem comes when a client sees flat rate and thinks they can ask for "just one more thing" every week.
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