https://cronloom.io/blog/ Guides for solo freelancers on rates, billable hours and what each client pays per real hour. en https://cronloom.io/blog/freelance-broker-vs-direct-client/ https://cronloom.io/blog/freelance-broker-vs-direct-client/ A broker's cut is visible on the rate. A direct client's cost hides in unbilled hours. Compare both per real hour, client by client, with a worked example. Thomas Kraaibeek Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://cronloom.io/blog/freelance-client-switch-cost-in-hours/ https://cronloom.io/blog/freelance-client-switch-cost-in-hours/ Four clients in one day cost more than four handovers. Count the minutes each switch takes and see what a fully billed day really pays per hour. Thomas Kraaibeek Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://cronloom.io/blog/freelance-proposals-cost-in-hours/ https://cronloom.io/blog/freelance-proposals-cost-in-hours/ A won project carries the proposals that lost. At 4 hours per pitch and one yes in four, every win starts 16 hours behind. Here is the arithmetic. Thomas Kraaibeek Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://cronloom.io/blog/freelance-minimum-fee-small-jobs/ https://cronloom.io/blog/freelance-minimum-fee-small-jobs/ Every job carries an hour of overhead, whatever its size. One formula gives you the smallest job that still clears your floor rate. Thomas Kraaibeek Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://cronloom.io/blog/freelance-estimate-overrun-factor/ https://cronloom.io/blog/freelance-estimate-overrun-factor/ Divide tracked hours by quoted hours on your last three projects. The same factor comes out each time. Multiply your next estimate by it before you quote. Thomas Kraaibeek Wed, 02 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://cronloom.io/blog/new-client-first-project-cost-in-hours/ https://cronloom.io/blog/new-client-first-project-cost-in-hours/ Kickoff, access, files and learning how a new client gives feedback are hours nobody quoted. Divide the fee by all of them, then judge over two projects. Thomas Kraaibeek Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://cronloom.io/blog/freelance-retainer-hours-per-month/ https://cronloom.io/blog/freelance-retainer-hours-per-month/ At most the monthly fee divided by your floor rate. A retainer can go underwater every month, so the month, not the project, is the unit you check. Thomas Kraaibeek Sat, 29 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://cronloom.io/blog/yes-to-friday-cost-in-hours/ https://cronloom.io/blog/yes-to-friday-cost-in-hours/ A tighter deadline costs hours: the Saturday it creates. Keep the fee, add those hours, and see whether the job still clears your floor or needs its own price. Thomas Kraaibeek Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://cronloom.io/blog/late-paying-clients-cost-in-hours/ https://cronloom.io/blog/late-paying-clients-cost-in-hours/ Chasing a late payment is unpaid work for one client. Count those hours and see how far they push that client below the rate you agreed. Thomas Kraaibeek Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://cronloom.io/blog/freelance-discount-effective-rate/ https://cronloom.io/blog/freelance-discount-effective-rate/ A 10% discount is not 10% off. Convert the cut into hours at your floor rate, add the usual overrun, and see the rate you actually agreed to. Thomas Kraaibeek Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://cronloom.io/blog/fixed-price-projects-losing-money/ https://cronloom.io/blog/fixed-price-projects-losing-money/ A fixed price sets your fee, not your rate. Divide the fee by your floor rate to get the hour budget, then check it at the halfway hour. Thomas Kraaibeek Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://cronloom.io/blog/which-freelance-clients-are-profitable/ https://cronloom.io/blog/which-freelance-clients-are-profitable/ Revenue ranks your clients one way, fee per real hour another, and the two orders rarely match. Here is how to do the division and what to do with it. Thomas Kraaibeek Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://cronloom.io/blog/floor-rate-vs-effective-rate/ https://cronloom.io/blog/floor-rate-vs-effective-rate/ Your quoted rate is a promise. Effective rate is the fee divided by every hour worked. The floor is the line below which a client stops paying you. Thomas Kraaibeek Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://cronloom.io/blog/billable-vs-non-billable-hours/ https://cronloom.io/blog/billable-vs-non-billable-hours/ What counts as billable, realistic utilization for solo freelancers, and how to compute the ratio that quietly decides what you really earn per hour. Thomas Kraaibeek Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://cronloom.io/blog/fixed-price-vs-hourly-billing/ https://cronloom.io/blog/fixed-price-vs-hourly-billing/ The honest trade-offs between fixed-price and hourly billing, how to compare them with your effective hourly rate, and when each model actually wins. Thomas Kraaibeek Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://cronloom.io/blog/how-to-raise-your-freelance-rates/ https://cronloom.io/blog/how-to-raise-your-freelance-rates/ A practical method for raising freelance rates: find your worst-paying clients by effective rate, time the increase, send a plain email, and gain income. Thomas Kraaibeek Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://cronloom.io/blog/how-to-set-a-freelance-day-rate/ https://cronloom.io/blog/how-to-set-a-freelance-day-rate/ A practical method to set a freelance day rate from your target hourly rate, with a premium, half-day rules and a way to check it against real tracked hours. Thomas Kraaibeek Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://cronloom.io/blog/how-to-track-billable-hours-across-multiple-clients/ https://cronloom.io/blog/how-to-track-billable-hours-across-multiple-clients/ A simple system for tracking billable hours across several freelance clients, without losing revenue to forgotten timers and rough estimates. Thomas Kraaibeek Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://cronloom.io/blog/how-to-calculate-your-freelance-hourly-rate/ https://cronloom.io/blog/how-to-calculate-your-freelance-hourly-rate/ A step-by-step method to work out the freelance hourly rate you actually need to charge, based on your income goal, expenses, time off and non-billable hours. Thomas Kraaibeek Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT