For a self-employed person the hourly rate is often of great importance. You should therefore take enough time to figure it out. The following 10 questions can help you to find an ideal hourly rate:
- How many days do I want / can I work per year? (How many holidays, sick days, etc.)
- How many hours can / do I want to sell per year?
- How much money do I need each year to make a living?
- How much profit do I want at the end of the year after deduction of all costs?
- What taxes, social security contributions and other levies will I have to pay?
- How many unpaid hours are necessary for my business to run? (e.g. accounting, marketing, acquisition, project preparation, further education etc.)
- What running costs must be covered by the hourly rate? (e.g. costs for software, accounting, tax consultants, advertising, etc.)
- Which longer-term costs do I want to finance with the hourly rate? (e.g. investments)
- What risks do I have to cover with the hourly rate? (e.g. loss of payment, miscalculations)
- In which price segment do I want to position myself in self-employment?
