How to Accurately Estimate a Graphic Design Job

My graphic design company gets requests from freelance designers frequently about advice on how much to charge for design jobs. Accurately bidding on design jobs is easily the hardest part of this business. I've been doing this for quite some time now with what I consider to be pretty good success. Bidding on jobs gets easier the more you do it, because with each prospective client you get a little better at feeling out their individual needs. Unfortunately, there is no hard and fast rule that can be used over and over again. You're not going to get every job you bid on and you probably don't want to. However, no designer can afford to spend large amounts of time putting together proposals that don't get accepted. I'm sure any freelance graphic designer with a mortgage can verify this. Sure, part of accurately bidding on design jobs comes from experience but there are some things you can do to help streamline your bidding process to weed out time wasters and land more legitimate clients.

The first thing you should do is know what the other advertising agencies, design companies and freelance designers in your area are charging so that you can establish a guideline for what is a fair and acceptable hourly rate or flat fee. You don't want to charge too much but you don't want to be known as the cheapest in town either. I would personally rather bid too high than too low.

When you speak with a client about a new job make sure that you get as much information from them as possible. From this information you should be able to ballpark the time involved based on previous projects. Yes, I know every job is different, but at least this gives you a place to start. It's been my experience that the majority of clients want to know a hard cost for the finished work and not an hourly rate. Sometimes an hourly rate can even scare potential clients off simply because it's too open ended. To bid a flat rate effectively, set an hourly rate for yourself based on what is competitive to your area while allowing you to operate your business profitably. Compare your hourly rate to the actual time spent on a flat rate proposal for a good way to know if you're profitable in the jobs you're bidding.

One thing that I do that really helps land a job is to determine price ranges for specific types of jobs like; logo design, post cards, basic website design, e-commerce sites, etc. I've found this to be useful on two levels. First, I have established a slight buffer for myself when working on the project. Second, I have found potential clients to be more receptive of a price scale, because they feel like you are open to working with them on getting them to that lower end of the scale. This, of course, is entirely up to the client and how they affect the flow of the project and approval process.

The key to coming up with a reasonable price scale is to use the information that the client provides you about the job. This information will help determine where they may fall in your price range. Use your own design experience to help determine the potential hours that may go into a job. For instance, a client wants you to bid on a logo, letterhead, envelope and business card design package. This could take you anywhere from 6 to 16 hours depending on the client and complexity of the job. So, you estimate the job at 16 hours and a rate of, we'll say $65 an hour, which equals $1,040. Hourly rates and design fees are going to vary from state to state and location to location, but here's what your client proposal may look like;

Example: Company Logo / Identity: $800 - $1,200

Work Flow:
• Will provide at least 2-3 initial directions for your logo and letterhead system and work chosen direction to your satisfaction.
• Will proceed with development after verbal or written approval on directions.
• Concepts will be presented via email and / or other specified method.
• You can expect to see initial directions within 2 weeks.
• If major changes or reworks are requested after an approval design is subject to hourly rate of $65 per hour.
• Art will be provided to you in print ready format (Set up for print production)
*If you choose to proceed with us our payment terms are 50% deposit to start and 50% upon completion.

You will notice that I threw in some extra information in that example. I like to make sure that I've covered all of my bases just incase a project does take longer than expected. It's been known to happen. I always write my proposals in contract form and have the client sign two copies when beginning a project. One for me and one for the client. At that time I collect a non-refundable 50% deposit. I recommend that every graphic designer implements a policy of retaining a deposit to begin work. You will find this useful if for some reason a client backs out of the project or drags the project on longer than expected. That has also been known to happen. The other point that can come in handy is stipulating that reworks after approvals or unending revisions will be billed at an hourly rate. Sometimes you will get a client who wants work done beyond the scope of a project. You should make sure that you're covered in that event too. I would go to my hourly rate for all work provided above and beyond the scope of the project.

by Chris London

Common Computer Repair Issues

You have a brand new computer and you're zipping through documents, flying at the speed of light across the Internet, multi-tasking and doing whatever else you need to do to get things done in a hurry. Your purchase was a wise one and you're glad you made it. There's nothing stopping you from meeting your production schedule or doing what you need to do when you need it done. That's what buying a new computer with all of the bells and whistles is about right?

But what happens when you face a problem with your computer? Perhaps it's something that has to do with the speed and performance. You're noticing your computer just isn't as fast as it used to be. It's a common problem that can result from a variety of things happening with your system. The bad news is that if you don't get the appropriate computer repair done on your system in the right time frame, the problem is only going to get worse and will be responsible for other problems that will arise as well.

When you first get your computer up and running, one of the first things you may do is to add the software that you need. This is normal and natural and should not cause problems with your operations system but sometimes it does simply because some programs are not compatible or attempt to access the same system configurations in a manner that causes an error blue screen, which drives many people into a panic or some other type of disturbance. Fortunately, this is not a major computer repair and a skilled technician can take a look at your system configuration and tell right away what the problem is as well as fix it so that programs run smoothly as they should.

The Internet has its own source of benefits as well as some inherent risks that go along with using the Internet whether you are just surfing, downloading, in the chat rooms, playing games, using the instant messengers, going to school or any of the other wealth of functions you can accomplish online. The greatest risks are those associated with viruses, spyware, malware and other malicious programs that can be transmitted to your computer and cause major damage. Computer repair for these types of issues is very common and although it may seem that your system is damaged beyond repair, you can take advantage of the expertise of a repair person who can remove all of the harmful programs from your system and restore it to optimal performance.

Computer repair for common issues is a proactive approach to keeping your system in good working condition. You don't have to wait for a breakdown or problematic situation to occur. Instead, many options exist to have your computer repair and maintenance conducted at an economical price that keeps common issues down to a minimum and lets your productivity stay at peak performance and lets your revenues continue to rise.

by Keith Reiq

Distinguishing Among Three Levels of Computer Technical Support

Computer technical support is a term that refers to a wide range of services that provide assistance for products that are usually technologically advanced. In business, tech support typically has to do with network maintenance, repairs, and assistance with computer programs that automate part or parts of an organization's business processes. Simple networking problems can bring productivity down to a crawl.

There are typically three forms of computer technical support available. The first involves customer service in the traditional sense. The customer opens a line of communication over phone, email, or other similar forms of communication. In response, a troubleshooter attempts to instruct the customer on how to resolve the issue at hand. If this does not work, the second form of tech support - a physical check up with an IT technician - is utilized.

More recently, the demand for immediate problem solving brought about a third form of tech support called remote repair. Not yet as widespread as the first two forms, remote repair involves allowing a third party to take control of a problematic computer from a remote location. This is sometimes coupled with subscription-based remote monitoring that is both preemptive and remedial in real time.

The first two forms of tech support can be done in-house by an IT department or even a single IT technician for smaller companies, or services can be hired from a third party information technology outsourcing (ITO) company. As its name implies, however, remote repair is done from a separate location.

These three forms of tech support are not to be confused with the three tiers of computer technical support which refer to different levels of difficulty in dealing with support issues.

by Jack M. Patterson

Small Businesses - Computer Networking Solutions

Many terms of the computer networking fundamentals for small businesses have come from the physical world of transportation. Some examples of such terms are ports, hubs, bridge, switching and routing. However, this simile is not unjustified because networks have same importance regarding the boom of the information era, as the transportation to the industrial era. Both computer networks and transportation system require very sound infrastructure.

Computer Networking is connecting the Computers:
Most fundamental form of computer networking goes back to connecting any two electronic equipments for the transfer of data between them. Third equipment only helps the communication of data. However, connecting a printer to computer simply with the help of a USB cable is not called a network. It will be a part of the network if connected with router or switch. Advent of Internet has forced the most of the companies to think about the computer networking. No matter how small business you are running, you need to have computer-networking facilities for publicity, email and online marketing of your products and services. If you do not have a well-established network of computer, your competitors will leave you behind in contacting the prospective customers.

The Biggest Advantage is File Sharing:
File sharing is perhaps the most talked about component of the computer networking fundamentals. File sharing is simply centralized grouping and organization of data files on a network server. Availability of all the data files at one place makes managing documents and data easier. Furthermore, you can also avoid the inconvenience caused by the inconsistant scheme of work among the different departments of the business. The newer versions of the network operating systems give tremendous control to the administrator. He is in complete control whether a person can get access to a particular file or not.

Sharing of Printers Saves Both Time and Money:
Second important component of the computer networking fundamentals for small businesses is printer sharing. It saves a lot of money and time that you would have spent on the purchasing and maintenance of printers. The printers connected to the computer network have more features than those connected to single computers.

Email:
One should also learn the importance of email to get the full understanding of computer networking fundamentals for small businesses. Group email facilitates fast and effective communication among the employees. Small business can also improve their scheduling, task assignment and contact management with the help of group or internal email. Moreover, in-house communication of documents is better than faxing because group emails are less expensive easier and unbelievably fast.

by Alexander Gordon

Handy Electronic Gadgets

The world today has been turned into a world of electronic gadgets. With the continued advancement of technology, the technology industry has continued to boom as well.

So many electronic stores have opened to sell electronic gadgets. The mushrooming of these stores is brought about by a significant increase in demand in the market. After all, in these modern times, almost everyone is indulging to electronic gadgets, one way or another.

The rise of the electronics industry is also an obvious indication that we now live in a world of technology. Wherever we look, be it in the offices or in the comforts of our own homes, technology is prevalent.

The handy electronic gadgets are used for people to communicate, to listen to music, to exercise, to write down notes, and play games. There are also electronic gadgets where movies can be viewed, along with other entertainment shows like concerts or instructional videos. There are also electronic gadgets that take photographs or print pictures.

Indeed, these gadgets were only thought of yesterday. It has radically changed the lives of many people, significantly making work much easier than ever before. these handy gadgets replaced the menial ways of doing things.

There are a thousand of invented electronic gadgets to this day, and more and more are being invented to meet the demands of the market. But here we will look into the more popular ones being used, like projectors, digital cameras, mp3 players, game consoles, electronic notebooks, and cellular phones.

There are so many kinds of projectors that are used today. They may refer to a video projector for home theater system and computer, or movie projectors that project films to a screen inside the movie theater.

A slide projector projects still image in a transparent base. An overhead projector projects transparent images. An opaque projector is considered an overhead projector's predecessor. The magic lantern is a historic projection device. The camera obscura is the historic ancestor of projection devices. The enlarger is also a kind of projector used to produce photo prints from negatives.

A ceiling projector is used to measure the clouds' height. There is also a projector album that is used to enlarge and view still pictures.

Another very popular handy electronics gadget is digital cameras. Cameras have been a long time invention, used to take photographs. But digital cameras are now more advanced and have become more portable. It has significantly decreased its price also which makes this gadget more affordable to many.

Digital cameras record images digitally through electronic image sensor, instead of using films. There are also compact digital still cameras that can be able to record not just moving videos but also record sound.

Digital cameras can also display images on the screen right after the image has been recorded. Despite its small memory device, it can store thousands of images and record both video and sound. It can also conveniently delete images that did not satisfy the user, or to free up storage space.

Digital cameras can be hooked up with so many devices from cellular phones, computers, digital handheld devices to vehicles.

Mp3 players are portable audio devices. This is used to listen to songs primarily, but can also be used to listen to other audio files. Some people use the cords of USB to connect this to the computer. Mp3 players are convenient companions when traveling alone, jogging, working out in the gym, or enjoying a stroll in the park.

Cellular phones are one of the most useful electronics gadget ever invented. These are devices used for mobile voice and data communication. It functions like any ordinary phone, but is cordless and therefore can be brought anywhere. They are used for additional services and accessories like SMS for text messaging, packet switching for Internet access, email, Bluetooth, gaming, infrared, MMS for photos, and video and video recorder camera.

A game console is an electronic device that produces video display signal. This can be used with display devices to be able to display a video game.

Electronic notebook is used as an alternative to the ordinary notebook. It is used to record important data electronically. This gadget conveniently replaces the rudiments of a pen and paper. it also works more efficiently.

There are many more electronic gadgets available in the market. The computers that we use are also electronic gadgets used in homes, schools and offices. There is also the newest version of personal computers which is the laptop.

There electronic gadgets that are present are made of the highest technologies. They are made to make the life of every person easy and handy.

by David Urmann

Online Freelance Programmer and Freelance Programming Jobs - The Solution to Your Financial Worries

In current times, when job cuts, salary freeze, lay offs and pink slips are the dreaded buzz words in the office circles, it is time to boost your income levels and your self esteem through freelancing jobs which can serve as a kind of backup employment or a part time occupation to supplement your dwindling family income.

Freelancers in various fields are in great demand nowadays because they can provide good quality work to their employers and yet the latter does not have to take up their responsibility, the employer is not bound to pay bonuses and pensions and perks to the freelancers, the freelancer can work as much as he wants to or as little as he wishes to, from the safety and comfort of his home, there is no long term commitment to the employer, you can work for whichever employer you want and yet pursue a full time profession and earn big bucks.

Actually, the term freelancer owes its origins to the historical romance - the novel Ivanhoe, written by Sir Walter Scott and the meaning of the word is something like a medieval mercenary warrior i.e. free lance. There shall be a set rate or fee for short term assignments which the freelancers will take up.

The world of the internet is now bursting at the seams with freelancing employment opportunities and freelance jobs online. Of the freelance employment opportunities and freelance jobs online, there are freelance journalist jobs, freelance writing or content writing jobs, freelance web developer, freelance web designers' jobs, freelance programming and freelance programmer jobs.

The job of a freelance programmer or freelance programming entails programming in computer and internet languages, they can fulfill the needs of website design, they can make graphic designs to create jpegs and gifs and freelance programmers even come in handy for link building and various other kinds of internet technicalities.

Whereas contract jobs will attract huge remuneration, freelance programmers will do the same job, equally well, at a fraction of that remuneration although most freelancers prefer to work as part time workers. As a result, they get less pay and lower rates than a full time worker. Payment is usually made on the basis of the amount of skill required to complete the job, the experience of the freelance programmer, the difficulty level of the freelance programming job and the time taken to complete the job.

The output is usually of a superior variety and quality. However, when you opt for freelance jobs online and freelance employment opportunities, you must be ready to submit your assignments on time and meet deadlines, you have to perform the task according to the specifications set by your client and abide by your client's instructions.

by Lee Su Jung

A Revolutionary Technology in Web Development Services

ASP.NET is the next generation of Microsoft's Active Server Pages (ASP) technology which is based on server side scripting. It is a set of web applications development technologies that provides a suitable framework for programmers to create dynamic web sites, XML web services, and web applications. By using the ASP.NET, programmers can easily create applications that can be easily run on any browser and platform. Whether you want to create a small, individual or large corporate websites, features of ASP.NET can definitely ease your task of developing a powerful online identity.

Prior to working in ASP.NET, you should possess a basic understanding of WWW, HTML, XML, fundamentals of web pages, scripting languages such as VBscript and JavaScript, fundamentals of server side scripting such as PHP, ASP.NET or JSP. The technology has provided a smarter tool to do innovative work in web development. Web applications that are developed in ASP.NET are highly effective and enable developers to get desired functionalities. In addition, ASP.NET solutions help in building applications that increases users' visual experiences, modifying business processes, and presenting text book and safe messages.

ASP.NET technology works smoothly with WYSWYG HTML editors and other programming tools including Microsoft Visual Studio.NET. Adding the power of ASP.NET with any of these tools not only makes the programming easier, but also offer a wide array of benefits like better control onto a webpage and fully integrated debugging support. The technology allows developers to choose suitable web forms and web services in order to make applications with solid back end infrastructure such as authenticating schemes, customizating application configuration, and caching frequently used data.

With the popularity of ASP.NET, many expert developers have stepped in the market to offer quality outsourcing ASP.NET development services to clients from varied industry verticals. Find your developer and get improved functionalities and usability online.

by JaiPrakash Sharma