If you are anything like me, hello anxiety! I have worked with several service-based businesses who do not include pricing on their website and, instead, ask you to fill out an inquiry form that often includes the dreaded budget field. Each time, it scares the living daylights out of me. So if it makes me so anxious, why I am I doing that exact thing??

I get it. Someone asks you for a budget. The red light begins flashing and sirens go off in your mind. Perhaps some of these questions start cycling: What if I don't have any idea how much this should cost? What if I say something too low and I insult this person I want to work with? What if I say something really expensive and I'm taken advantage of?

Well, let's start by breaking these down...

What if I don't have any idea how much this should cost?

That's okay! Unless you've been doing extensive research, I don't expect you to know how much this should cost. And even if you have done your research, pricing still varies from designer to designer and falls along a massive spectrum. So remember is this: there are designers out there who are charging pennies for the same amount of work another is charging thousands for. It just depends on who you are talking to, so don't fret about not knowing how much to expect.

What if I say something too low and I insult this person I want to work with?

This is the number one response I get when I ask for a budget. I have never once been insulted by someone's budget. I've been insulted by people who insinuate what I do for a living should not cost more than their budget. Read that again: I'm not insulted by a $100 budget. I'm insulted by those who feel the need to say anything more is ridiculous. Your budget is what it is. If you insult a designer by sharing it, look at it like a red flag on a first date and count yourself lucky you don't have to go out with them again.

What if I say something really expensive and I'm taken advantage of?

None of us want to pay more than we have to for something, right? And I'm not going to say there aren't designers who will take advantage of this because, well, some people suck. But I'll be talking a lot about trust 'round these parts and that's where it's up to you. The great thing is that, in this day and age, there are so many ways to get to know a service provider before working with them. You have their site, their social channels, and any other avenues that they utilize. Do your research. Get a vibe. And trust your gut.

Now that's all cleared up: let's get to the meat of it.

Why do I ask potential clients for a budget up front?

For me, it boils down to two reasons: compatibility and scope.

1. Compatibility

Let's hop back to that client with a $100 budget. I'm not offended by that budget; I just can't work within that budget—simple as that. And the sooner we get that budget established, the sooner we can move on and you can find the designer that's right for you. Time is precious to everyone. I can say from multiple experiences that there is nothing worse in the earliest stages of cultivating a working relationship than finding out later that we're incompatible in the most transactional area of the project.

Talking money is still often taboo (*eye roll*). Even though you are someone in need of a service (gasp) that costs money (gasp again), it's still often an uncomfortable conversation (*more dramatic eye roll*). For me, the best route has been ripping off the bandaid. Why?

In my experience, if this conversation isn't had immediately, it's likely we'll spend a good deal of time getting to know one another, moving through the ins and outs of the project, and falling in love with the idea of working together on your amazing brand or website... only to find out budgetary expectations are too off base to work with. And it's disappointing for everyone.

Every designer prices their work differently. I have more posts coming out on this topic, but it depends on so many factors, including level of experience, services, scope, availability, ROI, etc. So all we can do is price our work in a way that fits into our lives and businesses. For me, I can only take on a few projects at a time because I'm a work from home mom. That means my schedule is limited and if I do work below my price point, I won't be able to make ends meet.

So I ask for a budget up front. I ask because crafting a custom proposal? It's a lot. And it is heartbreaking to go through all of that preliminary work together to find out the numbers just won't add up. Which brings me to...

2. Scope

When I have your budget up front, I am able to better refine the scope of your project to fit your budget. Again, I can't fit any budget, but if we're in the right range, I can give you options that are available at and around your desired price point. It's why I do custom quotes for every project.

At this stage in my business, I have multiple offerings for every service. So if you come to me with a budget that can't get you all the items you want, I can let you know what we can include, as well as how we can modify the deliverables to better fit your budget. For example: I recently had a client who wanted a custom site and more info about my brand identity services. He had a good budget, but it wasn't enough for everything he was looking for. After establishing his budget, talking about his specific needs, and refining the deliverables, we were able to settle on the one-concept method for a brand refresh and a custom single-page scrolling website, and not because it was less expensive, but because that's all he actually needed.

If we didn't talk budget prior to moving forward, I would have quoted him well out of his budget. And that could have been the end of our conversation, which would have been a loss for us both. But because I knew what he had to work with, I was able to work my proposal around that.

I know that sharing a budget first thing can be confusing and a bit overwhelming. But doing so can save everyone time and money when discussed up front. I'll be writing more on this subject, such as how to budget for design services, what goes into my pricing, as well as other topics around pricing and budget, so consider subscribing to my newsletter so you never miss a post!