How much should I charge for my services?

[Amanda]

Hi Everyone

I'm new here. I've just set up my business as a Freelance Administrator offering the following services:-

Secretarial Services, Word Processing, Office Admin, Invoicing, Letter Typing, Photocopying, Data Entry, Copy Typing and eventually Book keeping once I have completed both courses in Manual book keeping and Sage 50 accounts. (with an aim to add several companies and work from home)

I will charge by the hour but don't really know what I should charge for the above.

I do book keeping for one client 5 hours a week and I charge £16 per hour and he is more than happy with that and always pays on time.

Any advice please from anyone else offering these services?

Any help gratefully received.

Thanks

Amanda

[GTFC]

Hi Amanda,

Good luck with the new venture! I use a similar service already and she charges me £20 per hour, which is the rate we started working at a couple of years ago. I know that for most clients this has now gone up to £25 - so somewhere around that figure would definitely be in the ballpark!

Hope that helps.

Cheers,

Gill

[Amanda]

Hi Gill and thanks for your reply it has been most helpful. I assume that is just for the book-keeping yes? Or does she provide additional administrative services too?

[GTFC]

That seems to be a flat rate for everything. I've used her services for data entry, formatting complex Word templates and that type of thing.

[Amanda]

I've not done copy writing and to be honest not entirely sure what is involved in it. Is it literally copying text from a book? There seems to be a lot of freelance copy writers on this forum and was wondering whether it is something I should perhaps consider doing or would I need specific qualifications in that area?

[GTFC]

Originally Posted by Amanda

I've not done copy writing and to be honest not entirely sure what is involved in it. Is it literally copying text from a book? There seems to be a lot of freelance copy writers on this forum and was wondering whether it is something I should perhaps consider doing or would I need specific qualifications in that area?

Copywriting is basically a writing service, but is usually referred to as 'copywriting' (e.g. writing marketing 'copy' or 'text') to differentiate it from creative writing - e.g. books and stories. There are some grey areas in the middle for things like articles and so on, but this is a rough definition. Copywriters generally write for websites, brochures, adverts, direct mail and the like. I also write case studies, articles and press releases (although I would not style myself as a PR expert!).

With a copywriting service you usually either work from existing materials (often from different sources and in different styles/tones/tenses) or from conversations or 'interviews' with people who have the info you need in their heads! And sometimes a mix of both. From this you craft the copy which then goes into the client's website, brochure or whatever it might be. Making sure of course that grammar, sentence construction, punctuation and spelling are all spot on.

Copywriters also often get involved in editing work, which is basically taking something that someone else has already written (usually someone who is not an expert) and tidying it up. So all the same things with grammar, sentence construction, punctuation and spelling . . .

Hope that helps!

[Amanda]

Thanks for your help on the above. That was a very clear description and has clarified a lot of things for me. I'm not sure if im cut out for that at the moment even though I have secretarial skills but will maybe consider doing something along those lines at a later date.

Hope all goes well for you

Thanks

Amanda

[Lupita]

How to price your freelance services :: Freelance UK

[ManchesterCopywriter]

With copywriting services, your biggest problem will be competing against people who are ex-journalists (like me) or who've worked in marketing or PR.

But if your general standard of English is good, you could start off by offering a proof reading service and some general writing work could come from that. Once you've done little bits here and there, you have a client list.

Better to build your business up slowly and be able to do what you say you can, than claim to be able to offer services you're not sure about and end up damaging your reputation.

[Pat-B]

Hi Amanda,

I am looking for a part time freelancer to help with my company accounts. I found your message looking through Google. I'm looking for someone trained in Sage Instant Accounts Plus - to help streamline our accounts (currently using Sage and Excel together - very inefficiently).

This job is open to anyone who can get to us physically - North London - Chalk Farm Underground.

Exact terms can be discussed, but I would like this person to start around now, and work approx 4 hours per day, or come in for 3 full days per week. This may be a long time or even full time position - depending on your abilities and other skills (this is a Corporate Film Production Company).

Pat-B