Setting your first freelance rate
You read all these guides and see all these numbers for different freelance skills, but none of them really tell you how to apply them to your own situation when you are just starting out and have no idea whether your portfolio is strong enough to justify a higher rate or whether you should just take whatever comes your way to build experience, and I am curious how other freelancers here actually made that first decision about their rates and what made them finally feel confident enough to ask for more.
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I was terrible at quoting when I started. It is a practice thing and every client is different. A good rule of thumb I learned is to price your work so that the client flinches but still says yes. If they agree immediately, you are probably too low. Checking a resource like freelancer rates Philippines can give you a solid baseline to start from. Increase your number until you find the first few no's, that will help you find your range. Also, do not negotiate on price. If they push back, reduce the scope of work instead of lowering your rate. That way you keep your value and they get something that fits their budget. You will get better at this over time as you learn how long things actually take and what different clients can afford.