Pricing for a novice user?

[wespor]

My Desktop is less than a month old, I'm still blindly stumbling through most of my cuts and I haven't been looking for work but several of the art and architecture students at the college I'm attending are asking me to help them after the on-campus router broke down a couple days ago. I'm not sure what to charge them, I can't really go by time alone because a lot of my time is spent learning and experimenting with 3D carving. I don't want to charge so much that I won't have return business down the road but I don't want to be taken advantage of right now.

For reference, the school charges $50 an hour for cuts when their router is operational.

[steve_g]

Weston…
You’re going to hear others say “it’s hard to raise your prices later”, and their right. BUT, you are in a unique situation… your potential customers graduate and move on! It sounds like you have an opportunity to be paid to learn. Your “competition” is charging $50.00 per hour, charge $30.00 this semester and raise it next semester, soon you’ll be able to charge $60-$100 for your expertise and no wait machine time…
SG

[wespor]

Thanks Steve, $30 sounds pretty reasonable for now.

[chiloquinruss]

At $30 bucks an hour you are probably making more than their teacher! :eek: You may end up with an inexpensive apprentice in the bargain! :D Russ

[joe]

I can't figure out how a guy with so little experience can charge by the hour. I send out lots of router work but stay away from estimated hourly charges. What a person needs is a firm price for the work to be done.

Keep in mind when you start out it's going to be slower than a productions shop. As you get faster, would you reduce your hourly rate? Makes no sense.


I'd work for a complementary charge.

[wespor]

Well the first student seemed satisfied, I only charged for actual cut time though. Not for all my fiddling and experimenting with the software and settings.

[steve_g]

Sounds like a “win, win”!
SG