Your Worth & Self Imposed Deadlines
07-08-09
I treat my writing and consulting services as though I am employed by a company I do not own, it is a job. With all jobs there are deadlines that have to be met, even though the majority of the deadlines I have now are self imposed. Take control of your life, for you have only one boss – YOU!
The bottom line is you choose which employer to work for or to work for yourself. No one can make the choice for you.
Even if you are not being paid because you are writing a spec screenplay or creating a business plan for a company you have yet to form, treat this time and effort as if you are being paid to do these tasks. By assessing a per hour rate for your time you come to realize your true value and this will make you more focused on which tasks you should be doing.
There will always be periods of inactivity and other times of too much work. The no income time will be offset when you sell something you created or services you provided. Remind yourself that TIME IS MONEY and you are worth every cent.
What is your time worth? Being more professional in how you treat time and clients, you will find that people will gladly pay more for your time.
The cost for my time may be higher than yours only because I have had projects optioned and you have yet to finish your first screenplay or novel. I would expect that someone who has had many of their scripts sold and produced, should be paid more than I for those writing services.
I do not charge as much per hour as my entertainment lawyer but I have corrected a few legal counsels on copyright, Trademark, incorporation, contracts and securities regulations. Does this allow me to charge a rate similar to theirs or higher? In the end, you decide how much or how little you are willing to work for. It also depends on the services you are supplying and the knowledge you bring to the table.
On the other hand, treat the work you do for yourself as something that someone else is waiting for and is expecting will be a high quality product and to be delivered within a certain time period. This will ensure that your own projects never fall behind and you meet your self imposed deadline.
You want to be efficient and productive and live up to your word on delivery dates and agreements, the last thing to do is come off as someone who makes claims and never follows through. As someone just starting out with no history, it’s crucial that you deliver on time.
Consider this practice for when you land the big client or write for a major broadcaster/studio. Then you’ll see your pay increase accordingly.
Sandford Tuey
info @Playdigm.com