Being commissioned is great but if you don’t know how to price your work it can be difficult to do business. That’s what happened to me this summer when I was commissioned to make a sign that I blogged about in Down the Rabbit Hole. I didn’t realize the cost of product and time it would take me to make the sign. From then on I make a note of how much time I’ve worked on a piece so it makes it easier at the end to add things up. I also found that saving receipts for supplies that you had to get is a good way to show how the total bill comes out.

Showing proof of time and purchased supplies is important for both you and the customer. I’ve also learned that giving the costumer an estimate of how much the piece will cost to make ahead of time will save you time in the end if they are not ok with the estimated price. Everyone charges differently per hour so make sure to be specific with your labor costs. I’m going to take my own advice with the new painting that I’ve been commissioned to do for a client. Over time I hope this will help me to become more professional in my future business.