Many consultants and freelancers make the mistake of confusing average consultant rates with standard prices; that's not the case. At the same time, you can never hire real professionals with low software consulting fees, so with them you can demand higher service standards and optimal performance. Consultants enjoy this pricing model because they can earn more than they would with a traditional hourly rate. Regardless of the consulting fees you charge, you'll be able to dedicate more billable hours to clients without having to worry about administration.
It's natural that each of these responsibilities entails varying IT consulting rates per hour depending on the scope and complexity of the task, and each project requires a balanced and personalized combination of these services. Calculate your consulting advance fee the same way you would calculate your project fees; basically, it's a comprehensive monthly project rather than smaller one-off tasks. However, it's highly unlikely that you'll actually be billing 40 hours a week, especially in the early stages of your consulting business. Companies usually hire contractors and consultants on a regular basis, so they will be aware of the current rates and will perceive your value depending on your location within that range.
These figures are the average hourly rates for IT consultants and can fluctuate over business seasons and depend on locations, including popular destinations for IT outsourcing and overseas development. Software consulting rates depend on the type of software development you offer and the type of customers you serve. Don't hesitate to check the consulting rates by industry, but don't use them as a bible to set prices, use them as other reference data. Some may charge per project, others may charge an hourly rate to a technology consultant, some may charge a daily fee, and others may work with a monthly advance payment.
There are many variables that influence determining the cost of IT consulting services, making it difficult to set a general hourly rate for a technology consultant. It's natural that you don't like the process of setting consulting fees, but you shouldn't have to give up money or sleep because of it.
