Most freelance rates are guessed by comparison. This works backwards from real costs and genuinely billable days, which usually produces a higher and more honest number.
What's Included
- Target income plus real costs including tax and pension.
- Genuinely billable days after holiday, admin, and finding work.
- The day rate that follows rather than the one that felt about right.
- An assistant that shows what a lower utilisation does to it.
How To Use
- Be honest about billable days. Most people bill far fewer than they assume.
- Include tax, pension, and time off. They are costs, not optional extras.
- Test a lower utilisation. The rate should survive a quiet quarter.
- Review annually rather than when you feel underpaid.
Publish the result in a freelance rate card, and quote from it with quote prompts.