How much should I charge?

[Sarah]

Okay, so my parents have this company that is completely outdated! They still use an outdated system from the 80's!! They are the kind of people that don't know how to text or email. Their business is dropping more each year and they are on the verge of losing everything! Right now I'm in college and between the computer classes I've taken and my current job I know how to use Word, Excel, Power-point, Quick-books, Office Outlook, Drop-box, Heartland, and Check-front. I know how to build a web-page, and obviously know how to use social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. My parent would never listen to my ideas till I thought of a great idea. I needed to go into it like a profession looking to work for them as a independent contractor and gave them my business plan and they finally agreed. I can use extra money so it’s a win-win. The issue is neither of us knows what a part-time, independent contractor should charge. How much would be a reasonable amount to charge per week or month? I need to update the program they use, teach them how to use it, get them set up on email, build and maintain a web page and social networking sites, set them up to accept online payments, make advertising fliers to send out via email, and design and order all their business cards to replace their plain boring ones. I'm also wonder how to get all their client information that is on this old 80's program onto a current program? Also, what program would you recommend to build there site on that is reasonably prices but a non-professional college student like me can handle making a professional looking site on? I was looking at Microsoft's Office 365.

[billtech66]

I would check competitors rates for what you are doing. Check online and/or call locally.
Offer family discount.

I would make them separate jobs, not one contract for all that you described.

I would write contracts for each job.
Offering the jobs either by the hour, or by the job, whichever suited yourself and your clients.

Include clauses for options to change the contract terms if agreed by all parties.

[VICTORIA STUDIES]

Wow. You are like the best daughter in the world. Seriously.

As far as charging them, I wouldn't charge a set fee. For one, they are your family, for two, what if you're not as lucrative as you would hope, that means more money out of your parent's pockets. I would use this time as a learning experience. If you fail, your parents don't lose anything but you will have gained experience. If you succeed, you can then use this skill of yours to open new locations and think about partnership. They will need you and you will need them. Starting from the second location and forward, you and your parents can come up with a 50/50 agreement.

With the skills and passion you have, "never" settle as a contractor or work for a menial pay. You need to think bigger than that. You have potential.

[John D]

I'm not sure there is "an answer" to this, as you are asking many things that are somewhat intangible. My fear is that you are in college and you already have a job, as you say, which makes one wonder how much time and energy you will actually have. I would tend to look for a price for the job, instead of hourly rates or salary, because of that. You don't say which program you need to update for them.

Email is done through your server - training your parents is the hard part. Online payments is through your website, imbedded in the design. Advertising and business cards are pretty simple - we use http://www.vistaprint.com for what we do. You can do a business card in about 10 minutes there. Client information, again, you don't say which programs you are using. Most of those sorts of programs have an export feature though. Quickbooks takes that sort of info but we don't use it because we have a free-standing address book. There are several website building programs but the best of the all is Dreamweaver. There's a learning curve but once you get past that it becomes pretty effortless to use.

Again, I don't have real answers, mostly, because you're just going to have to negotiate about everything. How long it takes to train your parents is largely up to them....

[kemperk]

I will gladly talk to your parents at no cost or obligation--check out my bio
email me

this will be my xmas gift to you and them
1 hour