Comments on: Respect Yourself and Charge What You Are Worth

By: Super Surfing Sunday | Pepper Scraps

Super Surfing Sunday | Pepper Scraps — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 06:53:58 +0000

[...] Respect Yourself and Charge What You Are Worth – This is so hard. I struggle with this all the time right now with my new design job. I have a habit of selling myself short and not charging what I should. I try to remind myself that my time not paying attention to my boys is worth so much more. [...]

By: Revka

Revka — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:05:46 +0000

It’s hard, isn’t it, Jessica, to charge what you are worth? I’m still learning this lesson, and I hope this post helps you to learn it much more quickly than I have.

Go ahead and raise your rates. You’ll be surprised at the positive effect that will have on your business if your current rates are lower than they should be.

Start out right, and let me know if I can help you in any way.

By: Revka

Revka — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:03:32 +0000

I was more than happy to help spread the word, and I think we should all be thanking you, Tracee, for throwing down the gauntlet and forcing us to re-evaluate our rates.

I love how you applied the “ASK” principle, and the longer I am in business, the more true I find it to be:

~ want people to subscribe to your newsletter? ASK
~ want people to buy from you? ASK them to buy.
~ want people to buy more products from you? ASK them to buy more by offering upsells and cross-sells
~ want people to pay you what you are worth? ASK them to pay what you are worth, and don’t take no for an answer.

Your point about men designers naturally expecting to be paid fair rates for their services is quite true. Why do we women expect less for ourselves?

By: Jessica @ designs by iDesign

Jessica @ designs by iDesign — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:26:14 +0000

WOW. I have just started out selling my design services even though I hold a degree in graphic design.

I truly don’t feel that I am charging what I am worth at this time. I try to tell myself that I am doing this to get clientele, but I would not work any job outside of my home for the amount I am charging now.

I was recently unemployed and hope to get this off the ground to replace my unemployment. But truly I should be charging what I am worth.
.-= Jessica @ designs by iDesign´s last blog ..Moving From Blogger to WordPress =-.

By: The Girl Revolution

The Girl Revolution — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 00:16:52 +0000

Thank you Revka.

It’s true. This does not only impact Mommy Bloggers. It impacts almost every creative profession I can think of. Think writers: pay your dues, work for clips and samples, starving artist, etc.

It feels just awful to feel our value is virtually nothing. It made me think today about the biblical truth:

Ask and it shall be given.

Telling someone our fee is the “ask.” Just praying about it and hoping it falls out of the sky is not so much “asking” as hoping.

And to designers. I know many men designers who self-trained. They make money. They feel worthy of asking for it.

We have to change this.