Being self-employed, I’ve always had to take care of all aspects of the business on my own. I have never had help or an assistant, nor have I ever hired professionals to handle certain things for me. And I have done pretty well. The one thing I really don’t like talking about or dealing with is money. Way back when it was more of a confidence issue and not asking for what I was worth. I outgrew that, thankfully.

Now I feel the issue is more about clients understanding the reasons behind a quote. Most don’t get the actual amount of time it takes to finalize a project or all the elements that have to come together for it to be successful. And that is why the fine line between cheap and expensive gets blurry. If you are self-employed, consider these when deciding your rates:

• the amount of time the work will take
• the expertise of the professional (you)
• the quality of the work
• the value of the work to the client

  I keep these in mind and I am always fair. Over the years I’ve learned my lesson undermining my skills and selling myself short, I’m sure we all go through that. But after 12 years of working in this business, I realized that being your own boss isn’t fun all the time. When it comes to money and getting paid, you have to be serious. Be confident in what you decide and know that the service you are offering is worth every penny.