Once you have determined your hourly rate, it’s time to figure out how long the job will take you to complete. If you have completed similar projects, use them as a starting point and adjust for the details of the project at hand. If you have not, go through each step of the process and estimate how long it will take you, and add them up. Estimating hours may be difficult at first, but over time you will have a lot to compare to. This is why it is very important to track your time carefully.
Remember that a project involves more than just design. Be sure to include activities such as:
- Design
- Several rounds of changes (the number of rounds should be in your contract)
- Client meetings
- Project research
- Email and phone communication
- Dealing with outside vendors such as printers
- Dealing with subcontractors such as illustrators
