Top 10 Things You Don’t Bill For, But Should!

10 Consultation calls.

9 Contract prep.

8 Thinking up & writing proposals.

7 Travel costs (mileage, parking...even time!)

6 Mailing, faxing, copying fees.

5 “It’s perfect! Just one more thing...”

4 PayPal fees (or any other fees you incur when they pay your invoices).

3 Time spent answering “little” emails and brief phone calls.

2 Sales tax, if your state/province charges it.

1 The time spent having those brilliant ideas in the shower.

The Bottom Line

We've said it before & we'll say it again: Undercharging is a freelancer's disease. Sadly, it's infectious!

We don't just mean charging an hourly rate that's too low, but not charging for your expenses, and not charging for all your time that you use up to serve your client.

Would you feel weird itemizing these on your invoice? Well, that's okay. You don't have to. If you're uncomfortable with saying outright that you're charging for "toilet brainstorming," you're not alone. But you should bill for the time, call it what you like! And the other things, like contract prep or copying fees, you can work into your new, increased hourly rate. Your job is to ensure they're covered, one way or another.

Undercharging hurts everyone. Charging for your time, and your expenses, results in a healthier, happier, more relaxed you... and that means better work for your clients.

That's what we call a happy ending!

Don't forget to check out our Top 10 Reasons to Raise Your Freelance Rates list, too!

Earn more and work less

Okay, we admit it: Time tracking is not a sexy subject. But earning more money?
Working less? Being more productive? Definitely sexy. And AWESOME.

Here's what customer Shawn Adrian had to say about our little app, Noko Time Tracking:

I fell in love with the numbers.

I'd never really tracked my time. It sounded like a lot of work.

Shawn Adrian/Quote Robot

But it was so easy to get started with Freckle. And I fell in love with the numbers. I loved being able to see where my time had gone.

After I'd used it for a month, I got really excited. I learned something that changed my business:

I wasn't working nearly as many hours as I'd believed.

Using Freckle helps me give more accurate quotes — because I know how much time the last job really took me. And it showed me that I needed to raise my rates!

My productivity has increased, too. Now I can truly see how much time I spend goofing off during the week.

Tracking my time with Freckle's been a huge eye opener for me, and a real help.

Try it yourself. Now, for free!

There's no risk, just a totally free 30-day trial that'll prove it to you.

Freckle awesomeness, it could be yours!
Earn More. Work Less.
Start your free 30-day trial now →