Tuesday

Fair Flat Rate

OPINION
How much would you charge for a regularly scheduled sitting job? My normal rate is $15/hr, but if I take this job i can't take others. Would you charge a flat rate? If so what's a fair flat rate. The job is 4 hours every Thursday.

4 comments:

The Noble Nanny said...

You always want to charge hourly in the event that they need you longer than four hours in the future. There is also the possibility that they may want you less hours someday, too. That's why with jobs that are only one or two days a week I charge a flat hourly rate (usually a few dollars an hour more than I would charge a FT position) and leave the stipulation that you have, for example, a four hour minimum, (or 2 or 3 hours, whatever you are comfortable with). That way it's consistent, reliable income week after week.

Does that help?

SNLnanny said...

I would stick w/an hourly rate. Flat rates are for "labor intensive" jobs...not nanny jobs dimwit.

SLNanny said...

Is it 4 hours on Thursday and those hours vary week by week? I would still do hourly but I agree with Noble Nanny. I may charge a bit higher.

Sidenote- Despite the similarities in our monikers, I am not the the rude poster who called you a dimwit for asking a reasonable question.

Tessa said...

I actually had someone say to me once, "We like to pay a flat rate so we don't have to worry about coming home on time." While most parents aren't that blunt, some of them are thinking that in the back of their minds. Make sure to inform them that you will need a weekly commitment from them for those hours, since you cannot take another job. Say something like, "I charge $X per hour, and I need a guarantee of at least X hours per week."