Used to take any job under $50 during slow months, now I just don't bother

I used to say yes to every single low paying gig when things dried up in January last year. Took a $35 logo job from a guy in Ohio and it ended up taking 8 hours of revisions. Now I just set a $100 minimum and walk away from anything under that. What changed was I added up my hourly rate from those small jobs and it was like $4 an hour after all the back and forth. Has anyone else tried setting a hard floor for what you'll accept during quiet weeks?

3 comments

3 Comments

margaretc426d ago

I heard someone call those tiny jobs "experience sponges" on a design forum the other day. They soak up all your time and energy for almost nothing in return. Setting a $100 floor sounds like a smart move if it stops you from working for peanuts.

val9746d agoMost Upvoted

Ngl those "experience sponges" sound like something that would dry out my wallet too.

park.aaron6d ago

@margaretc42 nailed it with that term. Those jobs really do just suck up everything you've got for basically nothing. Setting that $100 floor is a good way to protect your time and your sanity.