MY FIRST JOB , help!!

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MY FIRST JOB , help!!

Postby climax » Thu Oct 22, 2009 4:44 am

Hi everybody,
After the presentation of my show "People of Finland" in my shool, I got my first client !
He is also a student and he is developing a website for his new business. He intends to get investors here in Finalnd for businesses in Africa. And he wants to have a flash show on his home page.

So my job is to find the right pictures, the song, and prepare the flash show.

My doubt is : HOW MUCH SHOULD I CHARGE ???
Usually all the show develpors receive the pictures from the client, and then charge only for the show.
But in my case it took me many hours of searching, and discussing with him about the right pictures...

This is my first client ever in this slideshow business. I really have no idea about what would be the ideal price, including all my work of research.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated,
Cristina
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Re: MY FIRST JOB , help!!

Postby bellzerr » Thu Oct 22, 2009 5:28 am

Did you discuss the job cost with your client before taking on the job? Will they pay an hourly fee for all your work? Do they know what kind of time and charges that would entail? Especially for your first job, do you care if you "profit?" Perhaps the good will and word of mouth is payment enough - or maybe there is very little chance of additional business from this student's referrals. This is all up to you. Obviously if you are hoping to develop a business as you're sole means of support you'll need to figure out you're costs and what your time is "worth." But for a first job, money may not be the most important aspect of the project. Good luck.

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Re: MY FIRST JOB , help!!

Postby HunnyB » Thu Oct 22, 2009 5:44 am

I can't remember who posted it - but somewhere in the Business section there is a thread about pricing.
Probally lots of talk :D
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Re: MY FIRST JOB , help!!

Postby climax » Thu Oct 22, 2009 6:10 am

Hi Belzzerr and Hunny,
Thank you for your reply.
I havent discussed costs with him yet. I was very sincere and told him this would be my first time, and I still wasn't sure about the amount of work this would take.
I'm not worried about profit right now, and he is not a simple student.
He is an experienced entrepreneur, with many good contacts in the business world. (he just happens to be a student of finnish language with me, at the moment).
Therefore I believe a well done job could bring me new opportunities of work.
The show won't be long, or too full of effects. Maybe around 1 minute.
We have agreed about 6 pictures so far. There will be lots of text in the show, in 6 languages (so I'll probably have to prepare 6 versions of the show).
Besides all that, I'll still be responsable for the translation to Portuguese (my mother language).

Hunny, I checked some of the posts regarding businesses before I wrote this topic.
But all I found were situations where the show creator also photographs the occasions, or receive the pictures from the client. And in my case my work has been quite different.... researching, translating, etc.
That's why I'm still kind of lost... I would like to have some ideas of numbers...

Thank you both for the interest in helping me.
Cristina
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Re: MY FIRST JOB , help!!

Postby bellzerr » Thu Oct 22, 2009 6:26 am

climax wrote:Therefore I believe a well done job could bring me new opportunities of work.

(Hourly rate that you think you are worth * Estimated hours) + Expenses = Total invoice amount
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Now discount for the value of anticipated future referrals, discount the value of your gratitude for trusting you for a first job, just charge him what "feels right." It really doesn't matter. It's your first job. Get your feet wet. Whatever you charge, it's going to feel great to get paid for something you enjoy doing! You will learn more about what you are worth and what the market will bear with each job. Don't stress on your first outing. This is going to be fun - enjoy it.

Mark

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Re: MY FIRST JOB , help!!

Postby alcain » Thu Oct 22, 2009 6:30 am

Cristina, this is a difficult topic. When I began as a new portrait and wedding photographer over 25 years ago, I did charge for my first clients, but not too much. I believe any fair charges should not only reflect the job done, but the experience of the person doing it. If a nail shop cuts your fingernails, it may cost $10. But if you were to have a surgeon do it (hey, crazier things happen every day), he would charge you $600. Same nail cutting job - different levels of experience by the provider of the services.

I did not charge a lot for over five years because I did not have enough experiences. Now that I have over 50 weddings to my credit, I can charge whatever I want - and get it. But this is not what I do. I specialize in photography for the less fortunate. If a wealthy client asks for me to do a wedding, I will sometimes do it for a high price. But when a poor young couple ask me to do their wedding, I will always do it and for a cheap cost. I feel good about doing that.

So you see, it is all about experiences, needs and motives.

I cannot tell you what to do, but I can say that if I were in your shoes, I would charge a low base price with the option of having your credits displayed at the end of the show displaying your name and contact information.

We all have to begin somewhere, but we need to find a way to make our beginnings develop into a successful ending.

Hope this helps, ~al

ps... you get out of any job just as much as you put into it - sometimes recognition and future growth are more important than a quick payoff in cash...
Using Producer V4, PS CS5, and the Nikon D80, D90 & D7000 for all of my professional work.
BFA with a major in Communication Design, Texas State University, 1978
And now abideth faith, hope and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

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Re: MY FIRST JOB , help!!

Postby climax » Thu Oct 22, 2009 6:35 am

Mark and Al,
You both are absolutely right.
I'm having indeed lots of fun doing it,
Thank you guys !!
Cristina
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