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Are there really clients out there willing to pay more for a contractor who
charges more for working onsite when they can just as easily find one who
will work onsite and not charge extra?
My experience has been that there is a "going rate" for tech writers in an
area, a little bit more maybe if the writer has some particular technical
chops. But that rate is what you can charge, and your needs to be onsite
or offsite or cover your costs don't figure into it.
If I am wrong about this, please tell me how to convince clients to pay me
more so that I can work in a manner more convenient to myself and cover my
retirement.
Actually, as I rack up more and more valuable technical writing experience
of many kinds, I find that it's become harder to find work, not easier.
And I think my rates are extremely reasonable, and fit right into the
"going rate" range. So I find it very difficult to comprehend that people
can actually charge more (and get it) for the convenience of working offsite.
At 02:46 PM 4/6/98 -0400, Laurie Little wrote:
>I would like to troll the masses to gauge how you set your rates. Do you
>have a higher or lower rate for offsite vs onsite rates?
>
>A colleague told me she charged $10 more per hour for onsite work,
>because it was very undesirable for her to work away from home. However,
>she also said that she's heard from other technical writers that they
>charge MORE for offsite work than onsite work because when offsite you
>use your own equipment, provide your own office supplies and other
>overhead costs, etc.
>
>I'd be more inclined to set a lower rate for offsite, because of the
>savings in food/clothing/travel time & cost, etc. and also the
>convenience of not rushing my son to daycare so I can get to the
>worksite on time.
>
>How about it? Also, if you do have different rates, what's the
>difference -- $5? $10? a percentage?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Laurie L. Little From there to here, from here to there,
>llittle -at- gsalink -dot- com Funny things are everywhere <Dr. Seuss>
>416-593-6262 x 533
>
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