TOP TEN

EXCUSES FOR UNDERCHARGING

Whether you're a freelancer or the owner of a creative shop, at some point in your career, you've probably sold yourself short to at least one client. Sharon Wasserman (no relation to the author of this article), a successful graphic designer and one of the founders of Atlanta's Freelance Forum, Inc., an association which helps freelancers network and learn more about business issues such as pricing, shared the top ten reasons, according to members, for undercharging.

1 I'm not doing anything else ...

2 My client doesn't want to pay that much ...

3 I haven't been doing this very long ...

4 I just don't know what the going rate is ...

5 I quoted him this low amount earlier ...

6 Someone else will do it for this amount ...

7 The economy is bad ...

8 I can't raise my fees to keep up with the cost of living because my client will use someone cheaper ...

9 I don't feel confident asking for what it's really worth ...

10 I really enjoy starving for my art ...

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