How Much will it cost?

After many years’ in business I’ve heard the question ‘How much will it cost’ (and countless variants on that theme) so many times that every new time makes me want to scream at the person asking the question.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m more than happy to provide an estimate or quote for a slug of work – When I know what I’m expected to be quoting for.

Would the people that ask me these questions expect a considered answer under these circumstances?

How much for a car?

How much for a flight?

How much for a suit?

How much for a meal?

How much for a house?

I could go on, but you’ll have the idea by now.

The cost, price, value of a product or service clearly depends on factors that are pertinent to its characteristics. A car can cost as little as a few hundred pounds in Newport auction or a quarter of a million for a Bugatti Veyron. Similarly, I can jump on a RyanAir flight to Spain for a tenner while a first class flight to NZ will set me back £15k. A bag of chips down Caroline street is about £1.20 these days and a meal at a half-decent restaurant in London will likely set me back £100, for two.

Not surprisingly, the price I would expect to pay in these circumstances will set my expectation as to the quality of the goods that I would receive. But that’s a different posting for another day.

The concept described here is surely not that complex for anyone to grasp; Different things cost different amounts. A ‘Simple’ brochure website (if there is such a thing) will be less costly than a full blown bespoke ecommerce solution with loads of clever widgets for SEO and product upsells. A full day’s photography that requires sets and back-ups and models will cost more than a head shot for a press-release.

The important point here is; I cannot tell you ‘how much will it cost?’ until I know what it is I am expected to be doing.