OK, as somebody just starting out in the world of freelance designing/developing, this is something that has been quite an issue for me. I regularly need to provide project estimates for prospective clients, but I am realizing more and more that I have no real, reliable system for doing this. Anyway, I figure the good ol’ kirupaForum would be a good resource of experienced designers who could share their experience with me.
So, for all you veterans out there:
1] How do you (and I do mean YOU - I want some personal opinions here) go about building estimates (if you even do it at all)? Do you have a questionaire you use, or do you go for more in-depth meetings/discussions with the prospective client? Do you base the estimate on project features/size, time spent, or both? How do you separate and quantify “simple” designs from more complex, “artsy” ones? Any other tips or tidbits you may have picked up through experience would be greatly appreciated as well!
Also:
2] When invoicing, do you charge half up front? A third? Nothing? How do you split up the bill time-wise, if at all? If there is a difference between your original estimate and the final product, how do you handle it? Again, any bits of knowledge you can put out there would be greatly appreciated… not just by me, but by almost everybody that does this type of work.
Thank you in advance!
