Getting Paid What You're Worth: A Freelancer's Guide to Smart Pricing

Calculating quotes and understanding your market position as a freelancer can feel like navigating in the dark. The isolation that comes with freelancing often leaves you wondering if you're charging too much, too little, or hitting that sweet spot where your skills meet fair compensation.

This question was answered by Andy Wright – Founder of Never Not Creative and CEO of Streamtime – alongside Nicky Bryson – Principal and Co-founder of Sayers Brand Momentum. Andy brings years of experience supporting creative professionals, while Nicky offers insights from her extensive background in brand strategy and consumer behaviour.

Learn from the pricing experts

Andy recommends diving into resources from established pricing authorities. Emily Cohen is a standout expert who's appeared in conversations with Chris Do, and you can also catch her on the Never Not Creative podcast. Chris Do, through The Futur YouTube channel, focuses extensively on knowing your worth and charging appropriately for creative work. The Futur is an online education platform founded by Emmy Award-winning designer Chris Do that teaches creative professionals how to build sustainable businesses through practical skills like pricing, brand strategy, and negotiation.

For the foundational wisdom, Andy points to Mike Montero's Creative Mornings talk from several years back. "It still rings very, very true," Andy notes, highlighting how timeless good pricing advice can be. This influential talk covers essential business practices for creative professionals, including the famous "F*ck You, Pay Me" approach to client relationships.

Understand the value you bring

The key shift in thinking involves moving beyond simple time-based calculations. As Andy explains, "This isn't just about the amount of time it takes and the hourly rate you want to achieve. It's actually about the worth that it delivers for your client."

Nicky illustrates this beautifully: "If you're a designer and you're creating a brand, that brand can have millions and billions of dollars of value over the next 20 to 30 years that you're paid, you know, maybe 8 to $10,000 for." While you're not asking for millions, understanding this value disparity helps frame your worth more accurately.

Set clear boundaries and outputs

One practical approach Nicky suggests is charging for specific outputs rather than time. "Be really clear on I'm providing you X, Y, and Z and that is at this cost so that if they ask for more, you're paying more," she advises. This prevents the common scenario where clients assume additional work falls within the original scope.

Remember that "everything always takes twice as long as we always budget for," as Nicky points out. This tendency to underestimate time contributes to the industry's chronic undercharging problem.

Pricing your freelance work fairly isn't just about covering your costs – it's about recognising the genuine value you create for your clients. By learning from established experts, understanding value-based pricing, and setting clear boundaries around your deliverables, you can move from pricing uncertainty to confident, fair compensation that reflects your true worth.