Making money with Free Software
Money Matters

"maddog" offers some tips to help you determine the real value of your services.
People often ask me how they can make money with Free Software, and usually I can answer that question in a few sentences. Other times, it takes a few iterations with the person asking the question.
To begin, make sure you do not fall into the trap of pricing your services too low. Many people in Free Software think that doing the coding or the systems administration work is "simple," and they will charge a minimum amount of money just to get the job. Several things are wrong with this strategy.
First, you may not cover the costs of doing the work. Hidden items may cause you to spend more time on the task than you thought you would. Perhaps something was overlooked in the evaluation and this task will take you much more time than you thought; thus, you will lose money on the job.
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