Rate Card Skill

Most freelancers and consultants underprice because they pick a number that "sounds okay" instead of one the math supports — and they bill hourly, which caps income and punishes efficiency. This skill builds a rate card grounded in your real targets (income, billable capacity, costs), then packages it into tiers/models that move you toward value-based pricing — with the language to present and hold it.

Required Inputs

Ask for these only if they aren't already provided:

• Target income (annual take-home you need), and your costs/overhead + tax allowance.
• Realistic billable capacity — billable days/hours per year (not 100% — admin, sales, holidays eat ~30–40%).
• Your services — what you offer, and which are commodity vs. high-value.
• Market context — rough rates peers charge, and your positioning (junior/senior/specialist).

Output Format

Rate Card: [you / practice]

1. Your floor rate (the math) — derive the minimum viable rate: target income + costs + tax, divided by realistic billable days/hours. This is the number below which you lose money — most people's "gut" rate is under it. Show the calc.

e.g. (£90k target + £20k costs + 30% tax buffer) ÷ 130 billable days ≈ £1,200/day floor.

2. Rate models — present the options and when each fits:

• Hourly — only for open-ended/uncertain work; caps your income and signals commodity.
• Day rate — cleaner; still time-for-money.
• Project/fixed — priced to value + a risk buffer; rewards efficiency.
• Retainer — recurring, predictable; price for access/outcomes, not hours.
• Value-based — a % of the value created; the highest ceiling. Note when it's viable.

3. Packaged tiers — 3 productised offers (e.g. Audit / Sprint / Partner) with what's included and a price each — so clients choose "which," and you sell outcomes not hours.