Lesson learned: quote first

[JRD]

I do some small design work for a favorite establishment of mine. I've done their website and a handful of band flyers. Recently I was asked to do a shirt design. The owner is a solid guy who for some reason doesn't do contracts, but always pays. So I spent 10 hours yesterday on no sleep and finished a design that he absolutely loved. Because that place has done a huge number for my social life and he's helped me out in a pinch with a few bucks sometimes, I discount him.

So I come in today and quote him at $100.

"$100, really?!". I informed him how much time I had spent on it with no sleep. He replied "remember I asked you to not put too much work into it". I said I do remember, but this is how long it took me. It was not a real ornate, complicated design, but it works quite well. I dropped the price to $75, where he replied sure, but that it'd be the last time he would hire me, as his previous shirt design guy (more an artist than a designer - and a good one at that, also a friend of mine I got to know there) did them for free. I said well, I value my work. And I really enjoy doing work for this place. As dissapointed as I was that the value wasn't seen in what I had done, I did something likely worse: dropped it to $50 and that he'd still hire me for future designs, at least flyers.

Agreed.

Now, had I quoted him upfront, this whole scenario would not have happened. There is a part of my brain that says "well I need the money, I don't run this as a fulltime business yet". I started school this year, but I have over 10 years of experience behind me. But once I got home I found myself on a fence as to whether I should take more money and be done with future work, or take the $50 and have some extra $ which usually goes back into the place anyway, as I'm a regular customer. A lot of these pieces I'm happy to have in my portfolio.

[brownagustin]

Yes quotation is fundamental need in any business what any customer expects from you to proceed further. But it is one of most dedicated step which help you to either get lead or to lose that inquiry.
I believe you can classify different clients into certain groups or classes.
Some clients are very much concerned about quality than price they ask for best, don't create puzzle and you love to working for them - you may treat them as elite customers.
Clients who are aware of price as well market trends and quality they are difficult to handle at beginning but later on you feel good to work and they will also refer you to their contacts - may be treated as Gold
Clients/inquiries which may ask you again and again, they are very much concerned about cost, they need everything best quality at least price, they will ask for frequent changes, lots of additional features, best quality and definitely very much frustrating while working with them.