What does this cost?

If you've looked around at other creative options (production houses/ad agencies) you're probably having trouble finding standard pricing as to what projects cost. The reason for this is because creative work has variables that aren't satisfied by a yes or no answer or even just a project type.

EXAMPLE

A website for example, is a little like buying a car. You can't tell someone you want to buy a car and walk away expecting to get what you want. Do you want a sports car, a truck, a minivan, or an SUV? Technically these are all cars. Additionally there are many car colors to choose from: red, yellow, blue, white, black, wood paneling... I think you can see where I'm going with this and it isn't just limited to the web. Print projects are full of choices as well; paper, ink, number of colors, special effects, binding and delivery all enter into the final price.

THE ESTIMATE

I use an estimation process just like any other contractor out on the market. This plays well with people concerned with a budget because any error in the estimate gets absorbed on my end. The exception to this would be if your project scope changes midway. As a company grows, sometimes projects need changes on the fly. In this scenario the project would need to be re-estimated to include modifications to the scope. As a general rule it's easier if you know your budget constraints ahead of time so time isn't wasted on ideas that are beyond your reach.