How to Set Your Rates and Negotiate with Clients as a Freelancer

If you’re a freelancer, your time is the most important commodity you have to sell. But that doesn't mean you should be willing to work for peanuts. In fact, being underpaid for your services can end up costing you more than just money. So how do you set fair rates for your work and negotiate them with clients? Here's our list of tips on how to get paid what you're worth as a freelancer in the UAE.

‍

Assess Your Market Value

‍

Before you can figure out what to charge, you need to know what your market value is. The easiest way to do this is by researching similar projects on sites like Upwork, Fiverr and Freelancer.com to get an idea of what other freelancers are charging for similar work.

‍

When determining your own rates, there are a few factors that should be considered:

‍

• What are your skills? If you have years of experience under your belt, it's likely that clients would be willing to pay more than they would for someone who is just starting out.

• What kind of service do you offer? Clients want someone who will be responsive and easy to work with and those things cost money. If you provide exceptional customer service (or if there's another reason why customers would value working with you), then include those extra services as part of their overall cost when setting up contracts. It will help justify raising prices later down the road if necessary (which could happen if demand increases).

‍

Consider the Value of Your Time

‍

The value of your time is the most important factor in setting your rates. It's also the easiest to overlook, which is why it's worth taking some time to think about before you get started.

‍

If you're like most freelancers, there are times when you feel like charging more because it feels like too much work for not enough pay. Those are the times when your negotiating skills will come in handy. If someone is offering AED100 an hour for something that would take you two hours, then say no thanks unless they increase their offer.

‍

If your client says yes and agrees with this new price point, then great. You've got yourself a deal. But if they don't agree with how much money they should spend per hour/day, then maybe consider walking away from this potential client altogether.

‍

Check Your Schedule

‍

You should also consider whether or not this particular project will fit into your schedule. If there are other projects that need doing more than this one (or if there are other things going on in life), then maybe turning down this offer would be best for everyone involved.

‍

Sometimes saying no can be difficult. However, being polite when turning down offers helps keep relationships healthy between freelancers and clients.

‍

Charge By the Hour or By Project

‍

There are many ways to charge for your services. You can choose to charge by the hour, project, task or day. Some people prefer one method over another but it's best to keep an open mind because each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

‍

If you charge by the hour, your client will pay for only the time spent working on their project. This type of pricing allows clients who are short on funds or new businesses with small budgets some flexibility in getting started with their projects without having too much invested up front before seeing results from those investments.

‍

You could also try charging by project. You can then set up milestones at agreed-upon points during the process (for example "upon completion of initial proposal"). Or consider charging by page instead of word count. This is a great option if you're writing copy for websites or ebooks that need content formatted in different ways (such as blog posts versus landing pages).

‍

Calculate How Many Hours You Can Realistically Work Each Week

‍

Once you've determined how much time you can realistically work each week, it's time to calculate how many hours that translates into.

‍

• Make a list of the hours you can work each week and add them up.

• Divide your total by 40 (the number of hours in a full-time work week). This will give you the number of hours that can be billed on average per week for freelance clients.

‍

Stay Organised and Plan Ahead

‍

When you're a freelancer, it's important to stay organised. You need to know your goals and how much time you can devote to a project. You also need to be able to estimate how long the project will take, and then double-check yourself before accepting any job. Take a look at our guide on the best apps for remote work to help you organise your work better.

‍

The Bottom Line

‍

You might think that this sounds like too much work, but if you plan ahead and have an excellent system for keeping track of all your projects as well as their progress, setting rates will be a breeze.

‍

And if you’re all set up and looking for the best payment method to get paid, read our guide on how to get paid as a freelancer in the UAE with the Pyypl app.