question about rates

[geekgirldany]

thank you jiggers that helps alot. I was just looking on Quickbooks forum and people are charging from $25 to $65. As said before I guess it depends where you are located. I really don't know what people expect.

[JohnH]

What people expect

What people expect:

1) We want as much as possible as cheap as possible. We will drive you nuts with our nitpicking and will constantly try to take advantage of you.

2) We want want good quality and are willing to pay a fair price for it.

3) We will pay more than the going rate, but we will be an aggravation and constantly remind you of how important we are to you in order to keep your attention and to make us feel significant.

Ideally, your mix should be no more than 20% from group #3 and as close to 80% as possible of group #2. Every 1% from group #1 that you accept as clients will leave you unable to service roughly 5% of those from groups 2 & 3. Do the math.

Group #1 will suck the life out of your business and if you have enough of them you'll find that you can earn more money working for someone else. I try to avoid them like the plague, although a few still sneak in through the back door.

[geekgirldany]

Well isn't that the truth! Especially number 1. I've had several of them. But it is just as much my fault. I should price my services higher. I am worth more. At the time I started $30 an hour seemed like so much money.

[fliszt]

Geekgirldany,

Bookkeeping charge: I average 16 hrs/month. I charge $650/month = $40.625/hr.
Also, thanks for everyone's input.

[Lion]

Charges

I charged the same rate for years and finally raised my bookkeeping rates to $50/hour; $350/day. For continuing clients, I run a tally on the hours until I get eight to give them a full day rate of $350 for eight scattered hours. If I go to the client's site, it's a half-day minimum. I do give a 50% discount for select exempt organizations, usually only one at a time. And, I still charge my old rate of $40/hour, $300/day for my biggest client who keeps using me for more and more hours.