We are often asked what should a Business Coach, Consultant or Home Based Worker charge for their services?

So many folks who work from home feel like they just do it because they love it. Whether you are a trip advisor, relationship coach, psychic, or tech support person you deserve to be paid fairly for the time, energy, and sometimes the heart and soul you put into your work. It’s been said that the more someone pays for advice, the more likely the will use it, because they don’t want to have nothing to show for their expenditure.

Many years ago I heard a parable about a man who made his living shining shoes in the men’s room of a Las Vegas casino. As one guy was about to leave after getting a shine, he said “Thanks, great job!” and proceeded to walk away. Then shoe shiner responded “Thanks won’t fill my stomach”, at which time the man promptly handed him a twenty dollar bill.

Below is a link to help you calculate your overhead and all the technical factors that go into setting your rates. It is a great tool and free to use. There are also some great articles on this site about doing freelance work.

In addition to using the rate calculator it is also helpful to compare what others are charging for services similar to yours. Use these simply as a benchmark. For example we typically see rates in the $1-$2 per minute range for many services. But there are also specialty services that command rates that are three times that. People will also pay a premium to get information instantly. For example we have a few online gamers using PremiumTalk to sell game cheats and cheat codes to other gamers who are desperate for this information. Their customers want information to a specific question and they are willing to pay to get their questions answered immediately.  People love instant gratification and are willing to pay a premium to get it.

In summary take a look at what others are charging, how eager your customers are and how accessible you can be. Keep in mind that people will attach value to something they have paid for. The more they have paid the greater the perceived value will be.

Here is a link to the rate calculator on a great site call freelanceswitch. We hope this helps!