Beginning Business

I have been designing and managing a website for a friend who has his own skateboarding company that is becoming quite successful for about a year or so now. He has been a reliable cliant to me, and likes the work I do. Originally I worked for free so I could earn the experiance in webdesigning for a cliant, and then I slowly worked my way up to a small 30$ a month. After a while of doing that, I am now a college student looking to push my designing and management into a professional field. I just recently talked to him about hourly prices and it looks like he is going to get business smart with me, and attempt the best deal he can get from me. He is willing to continue the work with the new pay, but I am nowhere near a wise businessman. I need some advice on payment situations for web design and management. I originally presented the idea of 20$ a minimum of 20$/hour with the 2nd hour on recorded by the minute. He told me that he has a friend that runs for half of that. He says that I should recieve the pay I deserve, but I dont want to get the lower end of the pay. How should I confront this? What prices do you all run for, or did you run for in your beginnings?

Well, it all depends on how good you are, and what your expertise is, if you have one. When I was about at your level I was would not take a job if I was not making $25 dollars per hour...and as I got my portfolio built up, that price has increased a lot. But $25 dollars is not a bad price...you can't really help it if he is a cheap client, or if someone else is working for cheaper...but ask him if he thinks he will receive the same quality of work from the other guy.

I was going to go get the courses compleated at the W3 schools to prove that I know my stuff, but he knows that I am hard working, always willing and dedicated to learn new things, fast and efficient. I work with HTML and CSS, and I started working in javascript a bit my last semester. (self educated)
I also started vearing into flash design, which was what he wanted, but I dont really own a full version of Macromedia. I would agree that I deserve to be paid at the very minimum of 20/hour, but I also dont want him finding work elsewhere. Either way, I was the one who designed his website, I know it in and out, along with all my techniques in designing, so I would be his best choice. I will ask him though when he starts meeting with me about the money. Is there any other advice I could get for my situation?

(im also advanced with programs such as dreamweaver and photoshop.)

Dreamweaver is a horrible program in my opinion to build a website in. Dreamwever is a tool and should be used to help you build websites faster, but it is still very important to know XHTML/CSS, that way your website is accessible to as many people as possible.

I would explain to him that you code in XHTML and CSS, which are complicated programming languages. Also explain to him that most professionals are charging around $75 per hour. For example, Ryan changes $100 for the first two hours, then $75 per hour after that. I charge a lot more than that, but I am a flash designer so there is a big difference there. Any other questions let me know. Thanks!!

Thanks! I think thats enough to get my message acrossed. I dont build in Dreamweaver, I use it to work faster like you said. I still have a understanding for XHTML and CSS, and the proper use of it. I doubt dreamweaver can do what I do on its own...

Sorry if that came across wrong, I was not really meaning to point fingers at any one, just making sure you understood!!

If your skills are solid and you have a portfolio of at least a few sites to show(3), then you are probably at the point to begin charging a fair rate. If you have one client, with little other experience except for that site, I'm afraid charging more than $20 per hour is unrealistic. You must walk before you can run.

You can certainly increase your rate to your current client but to jump up by a large amount is certainly going to anger him. If you go up slowly, you are more than likely going to keep him as a client and keep his trust.

If he has a friend that will do the updates for $10 an hour than I wouldn't raise my rate with him to more than $15. That's sort of a compromise on both your parts. He can't expect you to stay at the same rate forever, since everything goes up in life. However you can't be greedy either.

New clients will come along at which time you quote a different hourly rate.
Hope that helps,

That makes sense to. I think I am going to aim for the $15 range for now. I really just want to get off my feet with web designing. I am also planning on doubling up my major with music and web design, so I have decided to take the business seriously. Lets see where this takes me!

Good luck, I'm sure you'll do fine!

Yep, good luck...that sounds like a good starting point, let us know how it goes, or if you need any other advise!!