While the per-hour rate works for certain positions, I am very intentional about pricing all my work on a project basis instead of hourly. I want to be able to deliver a quality product without having to count the minutes it takes to do so or hold back because I have reached my time allotment. I’m sure that I have spent more time than I “should” on some projects because of this billing practice but I’m happy to deliver more than expected.
I thought about this when I attended a reception that had a gorgeous fruit display. If they had priced their work on an hourly basis, the customer may not have wanted to explicitly pay that extra amount to have carved watermelons or owls shaped out of apples, but the end result was magnificent. It was a positive reflection on the host as much as the caterer.
If I want to spend time doing extra research or editing an article, I don’t want to hesitate and wonder about billing the client for my obsession. Ditto for my administrative project that may not have wanted to pay extra for the files to have printed labels and be alphabetized but I cared and did them, without counting the “extra” minutes it took.
Your work is a reflection of you. Don’t sell yourself short by letting the clock dictate what you deliver.
