Took a low-paying gig on purpose and it actually paid off

For years I turned down anything under $50 an hour for freelance writing, thinking it hurt my value. Last month I took a $35 an hour blog project for a local tree nursery just to build my portfolio, and that one job led to three referrals worth over $2,000 total. Has anyone else seen bigger returns from saying yes to a smaller rate than they expected?

3 comments

3 Comments

robinp721mo ago

Nah, @grace_white, I gotta disagree. Taking a lower rate can open doors you didn't even know existed.

the_paul17d ago

Robin's right about that. I took a lower rate on a project a few years back just to get in the door with a bigger company. Ended up doing three more jobs with them at my regular rate plus they introduced me to two other clients who paid even better. Sometimes that first hit is like a loss leader, you know? You prove yourself, show what you can do, and suddenly you're in a circle you couldn't even see from outside. The real trick is knowing when to drop it and when to bump it back up after the foot's in the door.

grace_white1mo ago

I get what you're saying but taking low rates just makes it harder for everyone else to charge fair prices.