I heard that Paula G. was attending the BlogHer conference, and asked if she'd like to write a guest blog. Happy to report, the subject matter she chose is near and dear. VALUE based fees. The further question is how do we get clients on board. I suppose it depends how much "supply and demand" balances with value. For instance, when I charge for calligraphy, which is labor intensive, even the high end of the rates don't really compensate enough compared to the work involved, but you can only charge so much and still be in the competitive market. Thanks Paula G, for bringing the value perspective to light.
DO YOU CHARGE WHAT YOU'RE WORTH? A PERSPECTIVE FROM BlogHer '09.
by Paula G.
Perhaps the biggest take-home message from my time at BlogHer ‘09 is that you need to value who you are and what you offer. As a freelancer it is exponentially important because no one else is determining your income or your time schedule but YOU. Valuing your services starts with valuing yourself. You are in charge of your destiny, so take the wheel.
At the start of my panel "Business of You: Bloggers as Pioneers in a Post-Employee World", one of my fellow panelists, Melissa Lion blurted out "Stop Writing for Free". While a short hush fell over the room and I could feel some people shifting in their seats thinking "but the places I write for won't pay", "but it is good visibility", or "but I'm afraid to ask for more", I thought her words created a strong anchor for the conversation that was to follow.
Writers are probably the least valued freelance creatures just behind web professionals (designers, coders, programmers) because people think it is “easy” or they don’t value it because “well, my teenager can program a website in Microsoft Word (shudder, shudder)” or “it’s just writing”. I know that writing well is an amazing skill and most people cannot do it. Yet, businesses online and off rely on it as a foundation to almost everything they do. That’s where I say – if it is so damn easy, do it yourself! But I digress…
While I understand there may be some instances where we choose to write or volunteer our time and services for free for any number of reasons, it shouldn't be the norm. According to Suze Orman's book Women and Money one of the main reasons women struggle with money is because we devalue our worth by putting ourselves on sale. We adopt a poverty mindset, we give away money we don't have to give, and we over-commit our time and energy. The net result is money challenges, exhaustion, and a pervasive sense that we don't deserve "it".
Our panel moderator Maggie Fox of Social Media Group recounted the first time she faced executives in the C-suite and realized she had something they wanted, needed, and were willing to pay for (social media expertise). It was at that moment she immediately learned the value of pricing one's services based on value, not an hourly rate and this has led to great success for her and her company.
Valuing oneself happens on many levels - valuing who you are as a human being, as a professional, as a friend, partner, spouse, mother. It requires first getting comfortable in your own skin so you can tap into the confidence and courage you need to stand up for yourself. This is one job you can never outsource.
Our audience was mixed with people who blog as part of their business, others who blog for personal reasons, and still others who currently work for a corporation but blog to establish credibility in their field for future business potential. One of the bigger concerns of those that blog as part of their business was the “how much personal information do I share” conundrum. Again, this comes down to a personal choice but the room was in agreement that business relationships and deals are built when people get to know you as a person.
Kaveri Subbarao brought her legal expertise to the panel. Not surprisingly she aired on the side of being conservative and protecting yourself. She specializes in helping start-ups and entrepreneurs and would make a great resource. She really knows her stuff and is perhaps the most approachable lawyer I have ever met.
Valuing yourself not only applies to money but also your time. Do you over-commit? Are you running yourself ragged trying to do-it-all and make things work? This is a total pitfall for freelancers, especially if you have a home office. Boundaries can get blurred and you can feel like you need to work all the time because there is always something to be done. Another of our panelists, Karen Bodkin, shared a very personal story about how trying to do too much can backfire. The stress of under-valuing and over-working took its toll on her health a few years ago and she offered that as an example of what doesn't work. Lesson learned? The kinder and gentler approach with yourself and pricing your services appropriately are critical to make it over the long haul.
So wherever you are or whatever you do, for the benefit of the world at large value yourself! It's not selfish, it's not bitchy, and it’s not aggressive. It’s called succeeding on your own terms. The world needs you.
Paula Gregorowicz, owner of The Paula G. Company, offers life and business coaching for women to help you gain the clarity, confidence, and courage you need to be comfortable in your own skin and succeed on your own terms. Get the free eCourse "5 Steps to Turn from fear to Freedom." at her website.
For web design and consulting, grab her free planner at www.paulagwebdesign.com.
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