[sbdezign]

I looked at post looking for workers but not a worker wondering how much to be paid. Say what you please but please give me a serious answer and reasoning and no just say minimum wage as I've seen.

Ok so, I'm a graphic designer and I offer screen printing. For about a year now. As I got more info I started buying my own shirts and switched printers. The guy I switched to ended up being one of my high school substitutes. It's been good he has been telling me it's hard to find good and reliable printers over time and asked why don't i do it. I started printing last week minor mistakes nothing to serious. So here is the question:

He asked how much do I want to make. In my head I say 5 hours a day 25 hours a week 10-15 a hour would be fine but the hours wouldn't be a consistent 11-4 but they would be as needed so that wouldn't really guarantee me a set amount of money. Then he asked if I want to get paid by the shirt. What's a good pay if I did it that way? I don't even know my estimated shirts per hour. $1.00? So then I was thinking what if I had to come in to do a small order verse a large order and how the prices change based on that. Or could I do it by job? How old that work almost the same as by shirt but think of a 12 order which is $2.20 a 72 which is $1.50 or a 100 order which is 1.30 after thinking about this I was thinking .50 cent to .75 cent per location. Or maybe a percentage idk. And then the dreaded color changes are a $10 charge.

The next thing is accounting for lost shirts. Should I be charge or is that cost of doing business? I would think I would get an amount that is cool per # let's say 1/30 shirts.

Lastly, he gave me permission to do my own stuff during downtime, which made it hard to say hourly. All my art is still separate weather he sends it to me or I get it myself. To add I am a recent college grad and I'd rather be printing and doing design and open my own place 5yrs. From now.

I guess loyalty makes it a good idea to make it to allow someone to set there pay but I want to be reasonable for the both of us but he doesn't seem to care that much as long as it's reasonable.


Thanks,

 

[ShirlandDesign]

If you have an opportunity to use his tools when they're free that's a huge deal and not one very many people would offer. This guy is being really great to you. If it were me I would take a modest hourly rate, work hard not to loose too many shirts, then print your own designs and take them to market. Your getting paid to learn, there's no liability (also a huge deal), and you have an opportunity to learn the marketing end of the business while getting paid serious folding money when you do find your market. I can't imagine a sweeter deal.

 

[sbdezign]

If you have an opportunity to use his tools when they're free that's a huge deal and not one very many people would offer. This guy is being really great to you. If it were me I would take a modest hourly rate, work hard not to loose too many shirts, then print your own designs and take them to market. Your getting paid to learn, there's no liability (also a huge deal), and you have an opportunity to learn the marketing end of the business while getting paid serious folding money when you do find your market. I can't imagine a sweeter deal.

This is exactly how i feel i think $10 an hour is modest, especially when i get to may $40 or so for every other art job that walks in. but with there being no set hours makes it hard for me thats why am asking what should i do. say say i need to do atleast 15 hours a week. that way i know i have that. if i do say 50 cent a shirt thats 20 shirts in an hour i am sure i can do that and potentially make more then $10 an hour but there is no guarantee to how much work i will be doing. like 2 days this week there was no work really. and last week i printed from 11 to 8 at night.

 

[6stitches]

I would go with an hourly rate. You can't give a price per shirt because you do not know what you are printing for him. For example, a one color job versus a 4 color job. They are different. However, with an hourly wage he can estimate how long it should take you to get the job printed. Or, you would have to work with the owner on each estimate in order to be able to provide a per shirt price. In regards to a fixed set of hours, they will come as the business grows. The only way to overcome that aspect is marketing, marketing, and more marketing.

I agree with the previous post about access to equipment and gaining experience. Having the ability to use the equipment is cool. I believe it is a good opportunity as well.

 

[sbdezign]

I would go with an hourly rate. You can't give a price per shirt because you do not know what you are printing for him. For example, a one color job versus a 4 color job. They are different. However, with an hourly wage he can estimate how long it should take you to get the job printed. Or, you would have to work with the owner on each estimate in order to be able to provide a per shirt price. In regards to a fixed set of hours, they will come as the business grows. The only way to overcome that aspect is marketing, marketing, and more marketing.

I agree with the previous post about access to equipment and gaining experience. Having the ability to use the equipment is cool. I believe it is a good opportunity as well.

Thanks yeah I don't want to be complicated like 50 cent plus 25 cent per color per location and $5 per color change. That's time in math... With hourly I was like I will be billing you and doing my own work too. Kinda looking out for him as well maybe I shouldn't like people who go to work but knowingly do nothing. That's just not me. I will consider art bonuses. 10-15 range is fine for me considering everything. I'll just suggest something like I need to work like 15 hours a week minimum what do u guys think.

 

[ShirlandDesign]

A set number of hours shouldn't be a big deal, cleaning and reclaiming screens if nothing else.

 

[2020 PrintWorks]

If someone was willing to pay me 50 cents a shirts I'd be all over it. There were days when I printed 800 shirts or more on a 4/4 manual. I would have made more in one day than I was making all week.

 

[BidsMaven]

Lots of good advice. Money isn't everything but it is one of the big deals to consider. Do you know about salary.com. It can give you good information regarding the money and expected tasks for specific job titles.

 

[ShirlandDesign]

Money isn't everything but it is one of the big deals to consider.

Our industry is full to the brim with people following their bliss.

It's wonderful to see clearly through the eyes of someone firmly focused on the brass ring. It's not a hobby, at least not to some of us.