potential customers looking for art

[ericheartsu]

Usually we pass on this type of stuff, but today two companies we've been trying to work with for a long time, contacted us about doing design work for them.

We want to print for them, and have some very talented designer friends, so we are going to try and make it work.

My question is how do we charge for this? I feel like i'm going to be spending a ton of time going back and forth with hired designers for the project, as well as with the client.

Also what happens if the client doesnt like any of the designs? how do we still bill for our time?

More or less i'm trying to find a way to properly bill for a hypothetical amount of time.

how do you guys do it?

thanks!

[GraphicDisorder]

Usually we pass on this type of stuff, but today two companies we've been trying to work with for a long time, contacted us about doing design work for them.

We want to print for them, and have some very talented designer friends, so we are going to try and make it work.

My question is how do we charge for this? I feel like i'm going to be spending a ton of time going back and forth with hired designers for the project, as well as with the client.

Also what happens if the client doesnt like any of the designs? how do we still bill for our time?

More or less i'm trying to find a way to properly bill for a hypothetical amount of time.

how do you guys do it?

thanks!

Art is art, print is print, so bill for each in my opinion.

We get a idea of what the customer wants, we bill a flat rate to create that.  We tweak within reason as long as the original concept remains.  Different direction would be different art and new fees.  This way seems to work because some customers will freak out about per hour fee's as you can't really know how many hours something will take.  I've found we sell a lot more art getting the overall idea/direction and billing a flat rate to create that.  Just my experience of course.

[ericheartsu]

both clients have artwork they want to use, just want different varieties of it.

If it was just putting their artwork on mock ups, no problem. we can do that, but building new art with existing art is where i run into this issue. especially when the client wants multiple items.

[Denis Kolar]

There is a plenty of artists on the forum. They have reasonable pricing.
Talk to some of them and set-up the pricing with them for your customers.

I realized that time is money, since, I have been outsourcing all mu digitizing and will have to start sending out most of my artwork too.

[ericheartsu]

we have plenty of artists we work with. My question is, how do you charge someone for something that may not end up working out?

[ScreenFoo]

Whether or not the customer likes what they end up with, they have to make the choice.  If you say "I know a guy who can do exactly what you want", and they don't like it, you're on the hook.

With any luck, these artists and designers have portfolios--if a customer likes the art they've done in the past, and sees the type of work they want, it seems rather unlikely something new they create will be unacceptable in the eyes of that customer...

[Frog]

we have plenty of artists we work with. My question is, how do you charge someone for something that may not end up working out?

That is where a little faith and trust and understanding and how your business operates is required by your (potential) client.
I've provided rough drafts for free or minimal fee, with the understanding that anything else costs.
I also try to spell out (and determine with outside artists if being used) just how many revisions are included before additional charges.

For the most part, clients understand and appreciate the need for us to be businesslike.
Those who don't are often unknowingly waving a red (or at least yellow) flag to us.