Pricing guide
The Billable-Hours Mistake
Forty working hours is not forty billable hours.
Show why freelance rates collapse when sales, admin, revisions, meetings, and downtime are ignored.
Run the calculatorThe mistake
A freelancer can work 40 hours and bill 20. The missing 20 hours still have to be funded by the rate.
- Sales calls and proposals
- Admin and bookkeeping
- Client messages and meetings
- Revisions and support
- Slow weeks and unpaid time off
The better move
Price from annual billable capacity, not from a full-time employee comparison. If the floor feels high, fix utilization, scope, or offer structure before cutting the rate.
A practical way to use this guide
Start with one real offer, client, or pricing decision instead of a generic average. Write down the current price, the work included, the unpaid time around delivery, and the payment timing. Then run the linked calculator using conservative inputs. The goal is not to get a perfect number; it is to see which assumption has the most power over profit.
The result can mislead you if the scope is vague, the client pays late, support work is not counted, or the price is being compared without taxes and owner pay. When the calculator exposes a weak price, the next step is usually to change scope, terms, or delivery rules before changing the headline price.