What kind of factors go into your pricing?

[addieleigh 16]

Im having a hard time deciding what I should be getting paid for since I am new at this. Besides the actual vinyl, what do you charge your clients for and how much?

 

Example: Installation fee? Trip fee? trailers with rivets/panels? removing old vinyl? - things like that.

 

Also would you charge an art fee if the customer wants you to come up with a logo or something for them?

 

I know every one does things differently for different prices. And things will vary from job to job. But im just trying to figure out a fair and reasonable way to make the most of my time without them thinking I am just slapping on charges on top of the actual sign/decal cost.

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

make sure you figure in a decant hourly wage for your work - many don't and many don't stay in business for long - they just hurt everyone else in the mean time 

[HDN 95]

Knowing your cost is a topic dear to my heart. When figuring your cost you need to take everything into account. Your direct cost and your indirect cost need to be figured out. If you have an interest I will  add more to this post. You also need to know or guess how many billable hours or units sold you can expect to achieve in a year. Just because you have 2000 hours in a work year does not mean you are going to get paid for them all

 

David

[GraphxNMore 282]

And remember wear and tear on your machines!!! Your cutter will eventually need repaired/replaced. Not to mention blades, cutting strips, etc. It all adds up rather quickly.

[HDN 95]

Everything needs to factor in

[2CT Media 25]

The biggest thing I see people miss is your labor is a cost of doing business not a profit.

Here are the most important factors:

Material Costs (including waste, even if it's reuseable)

Labor Costs (time operating computer and equipment, material finishing time, installation, etc.)

Machine costs (cost to run the machines, electricity, depreciation, consumables, etc.)

Finally you add your markups, discount for quantities, factor for complexities, and so on.

[mabscotthandyman 1,410]

Dont forget your overhead cost. Rent, power, insurance, advertising, insurance, auto expenses, business license and the list goes on. You should know excatly what your operating overhead is that is what it cost you to open the doors on a business and if are not factored in those doors will close fairly quick. There have been many that say I have low or no overhead I work out of the house you may not have rent on a shop but all the other factors are still there. Price to sell but also to make a decent profit after all cost have been factored in.

Dan

[Go-C Graphics 856]

Something that's always stood out in my mind is "Charge what you are worth"

Would you trust a mechanic with your car if he's only charging you $20 an hour?

 

You don't want to devalue yourself in your chosen profession.

It doesn't matter if this is part time, full time, or a hobby. 

Don't be afraid to turn down a job if you're not getting paid what you're worth. 

[jaybyrd 3,770]

I have one that never shows up on these list but goes back to when I was in residential construction years ago, A.F. - Aggravation Factor. If you meet someone for the first time and you can tell right away they are going to challenging (a pain in the ass) to deal with consider adding a percentage to cover the extra issues you will most likely run into with that person. I usually figure A.F. at 15% but if they are a special kind of aggravation I have taken it to 25%. This helps me to smile and be polite when I'm listening to them complaining about everything over and over again.

[mabscotthandyman 1,410]

I have one that never shows up on these list but goes back to when I was in residential construction years ago, A.F. - Aggravation Factor. If you meet someone for the first time and you can tell right away they are going to challenging (a pain in the ass) to deal with consider adding a percentage to cover the extra issues you will most likely run into with that person. I usually figure A.F. at 15% but if they are a special kind of aggravation I have taken it to 25%. This helps me to smile and be polite when I'm listening to them complaining about everything over and over again.

Jay that AF...factor can go to a FU ...fairly quick I had one couple that I locked out of their house till I was finished and was paid in full it was a complete gut and reno from a fire and they were a complete pita. I have only had a few in all these years but the ones you get are anoying. With the couple above I had a lot of padding on the price because I was busy and did not want the job really and priced it quite high and got it any way.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

You can usually tell going in that certain people are just going to be a headache. I have told people that I couldn't schedule them in for several weeks but gave them a reference to another contractor "friend" to get it done sooner. Let the competition suffer if you can afford to pass on it and move on to greener pastures. If you can't I always liked telling them that it may be their property but as long as I was contracted to work there my insurance would not cover them being on the job site during regular hours.