What should I charge

[jbird]

So I have some folks wanting me to tool there leather for them, what is fair price should it be by the hour or what is the correct system.

Josh

[electrathon]

Charge by the job. It is the most fair system.

Lets say you charged by the hour. You are learning and it takes you 5 hours to do a wallet. You work hard and devote yourself to the job. Everyone is happy. So you do this a lot. Now you can tool both faster and better. You work hard and do exactly the same pattern as months before. You finish it in 3 hours. You are great at what you do and you are now being paid 2 hours less time solely for one reason, you got better.

Charge by the job and everyone will know the cost up front, all will be happy and you do not cheat yourself. The only other question is hor much you charge per job.

[Bree]

So I have some folks wanting me to tool there leather for them, what is fair price should it be by the hour or what is the correct system.

Josh

Fair to who? You or them? They want the lowest price they can get and you want the highest price that you can get. There is no "correct" system. Each side is responsible for setting their own boundaries and evaluating their own situation. You should focus on your business and personal needs in setting your prices. How much must your charge to make a profit? How do you value your own time? How much income do you want to earn this year?

They will evaluate their own needs and cash flow when they make their decision on your proposal. Just don't make their decision easy by selling a $10 bill for $5 as folks have said here before.

[jbird]

Ok so that sounds good and let's say you get a belt and they want it tooled and they will do the rest with it, what would you charge for that.

Josh

[rdb]

2-3 dollars an inch would be my guess...

Ok so that sounds good and let's say you get a belt and they want it tooled and they will do the rest with it, what would you charge for that.

Josh

[jbird]

Thanks a lot all for your help.

Josh

[Lui]

When I started I charged around twenty dollars an hour, now that I am a bit faster my carving rate is fifty and I have a pretty good idea of how long its gonna take to do the job so I offer a price for the job based on previous experience. Be caeful since every job is different try not to give a price for a "belt" lets say without knowing what you will be carving on it. Sometimes it may be so complex you may want to consider it at 5 dollars per square inch instead. Your best bet would be to try and figure out how long you are going to take to complete the task, sometimes maybe doing a small piece on scrap may help you figure this out and then figure what you want to earn for your time. Just a thought.

Lui

[UKRay]

Josh,

My thoughts on this pricing stuff are relatively simple. After working leather for a while I kinda know how long a job will take to complete and I guess that, by now, you are getting pretty close to that point. So, how many dollars do you need to make for an hour's work? Easy huh?

I ought to point out here that most of us are guilty of underpricing work, quoting for less time than we actually spend on a job and generally giving the customer a far better deal than they deserve which, believe me, is nothing to laugh about... we pretend that if we charged the right price for our work we wouldn't get any customers. But trust me here, Josh, this is not true.

My suggestion is to agree a fixed price with your client before you start based on your best estimate of the work to be completed. You will get it wrong a few times but eventually you will start making the sort of money you are happy with. Problem solved.

Can you afford to trust your own judgement? I've seen your work and read your posts and IMHO, I reckon it is about time you learned to believe in yourself. If it helps any, a lot of folk here on the board believe in you - which is why they have been so keen to see you progress and improve your work.

Just my three penn'orth and worth precisely what you paid for it!

Good luck,

Ray

[jbird]

Thanks a lot that is very helpfull and gives me the idea, I need to come up with a system.

Josh

When I started I charged around twenty dollars an hour, now that I am a bit faster my carving rate is fifty and I have a pretty good idea of how long its gonna take to do the job so I offer a price for the job based on previous experience. Be caeful since every job is different try not to give a price for a "belt" lets say without knowing what you will be carving on it. Sometimes it may be so complex you may want to consider it at 5 dollars per square inch instead. Your best bet would be to try and figure out how long you are going to take to complete the task, sometimes maybe doing a small piece on scrap may help you figure this out and then figure what you want to earn for your time. Just a thought.

Lui

[jbird]

Hi Ray

Once again you have helped me get my feet were they need to be planted. I am very gratefull to you for taking time to offer your advise to me I put a lot of stock in it and find it always helpfull thanks.

Josh

Josh,

My thoughts on this pricing stuff are relatively simple. After working leather for a while I kinda know how long a job will take to complete and I guess that, by now, you are getting pretty close to that point. So, how many dollars do you need to make for an hour's work? Easy huh?

I ought to point out here that most of us are guilty of underpricing work, quoting for less time than we actually spend on a job and generally giving the customer a far better deal than they deserve which, believe me, is nothing to laugh about... we pretend that if we charged the right price for our work we wouldn't get any customers. But trust me here, Josh, this is not true.

My suggestion is to agree a fixed price with your client before you start based on your best estimate of the work to be completed. You will get it wrong a few times but eventually you will start making the sort of money you are happy with. Problem solved.

Can you afford to trust your own judgement? I've seen your work and read your posts and IMHO, I reckon it is about time you learned to believe in yourself. If it helps any, a lot of folk here on the board believe in you - which is why they have been so keen to see you progress and improve your work.

Just my three penn'orth and worth precisely what you paid for it!

Good luck,

Ray

[Deb59]

There is a book by Bob Brenner from Pikes Peak Saddlery in Colorado. It is How to establish prices for the Saddlemaker or Leatherworker. It helps you to establish an hourly rate a

There is a book by Bob Brenner from Pikes Peak Saddlery in Colorado. It is How to establish prices for the Saddlemaker or Leatherworker. It helps you to establish an hourly rate and

There is a book by Bob Brenner from Pikes Peak Saddlery in Colorado. It is How to establish prices for the Saddlemaker or Leatherworker. It helps you to establish an hourly rate and a l

[Suze]

There is a book by Bob Brenner from Pikes Peak Saddlery in Colorado. It is How to establish prices for the Saddlemaker or Leatherworker. It helps you to establish an hourly rate a

There is a book by Bob Brenner from Pikes Peak Saddlery in Colorado. It is How to establish prices for the Saddlemaker or Leatherworker. It helps you to establish an hourly rate and

There is a book by Bob Brenner from Pikes Peak Saddlery in Colorado. It is How to establish prices for the Saddlemaker or Leatherworker. It helps you to establish an hourly rate and a l

would sombody "kick the record player"

it seems the Deb59 is "stuck in a grove"

grin

[Deb59]

Hi, I purchased a book and have found it helpful, it is How to Establish prices for the Saddlemaker or Leatherworker. It is by Bob Brenner of Pikes Peak Saddlery in Colorado. This gives a lot of help in establishing an hourly rate. There are worksheets to help you figure in various expenses such as utilites, rent etc as well as the materials and time. It gives you a lot to think about while building your business. I think it runs around $40.00 plus shipping. I am sure there is more info out there. This site alone has lots of great info and resources. - Keep up the good work - Deb

[Deb59]

:} :} Sorry - Sometimes I get to typing too fast, and I fat finger type. Heh Heh!!

[jbird]

Thanks very much Appreciated

Josh

Hi, I purchased a book and have found it helpful, it is How to Establish prices for the Saddlemaker or Leatherworker. It is by Bob Brenner of Pikes Peak Saddlery in Colorado. This gives a lot of help in establishing an hourly rate. There are worksheets to help you figure in various expenses such as utilites, rent etc as well as the materials and time. It gives you a lot to think about while building your business. I think it runs around $40.00 plus shipping. I am sure there is more info out there. This site alone has lots of great info and resources. - Keep up the good work - Deb

[Go2Tex]

would sombody "kick the record player"

it seems the Deb59 is "stuck in a grove"

grin

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!