New business location in LA. Renderings start from $199

[John Dollus]

Honestly, none of it really bothers me. I've been doing this since the dealer pre-release of 3ds Dos and the business side hasn't changed at all over the decades. The same talented and business savvy people are still around and the others have all gone quietly into the night. On the client side, the ones who who base their decision on the lowest price and fastest product are not the ones I choose to engage so I'm thrilled there are others who wish to fill that need and wish them luck.

[Scott Schroeder]

Honestly, none of it really bothers me. I've been doing this since the dealer pre-release of 3ds Dos and the business side hasn't changed at all over the decades. The same talented and business savvy people are still around and the others have all gone quietly into the night. On the client side, the ones who who base their decision on the lowest price and fastest product are not the ones I choose to engage so I'm thrilled there are others who wish to fill that need and wish them luck.

 

Exactly. Why argue over who gets the moldy cheeseburger? The clients who want the cheapo renderings are the ones to avoid anyways as you'll deal with so many headaches.

[heni30]

That's not always the case.

 

My daughter's best friend's dad is a VP at one of the larger firms here in Atlanta and he was ecstatic that they were able to get a large aerial conceptual rendering for $1200 whereas they would normally have to pay at least $2500 here in the states, he said.

 

(I can't believe he was telling ME this knowing I do renderings!)

 

In this case it was a pie in the sky proposal so following strict design/technical parameters was not an issue. BUT they also have an office in Bejing that can keep things on track.

 

So here's an instance of a very desirable client who went the cheapo route successfully. (ouch!)

 

But for the most part you're right.

Edited July 31, 2014 by heni30

[CliveG]

...the ones who who base their decision on the lowest price and fastest product are not the ones I choose to engage so I'm thrilled there are others who wish to fill that need and wish them luck.

 

Exactly, - indeed it could well work to your advantage by acting as a stepping stone to encourage potential clients into utilizing visualisation, where they may not have taken that step before.

 

Then they'll probably just grow into it the market, once these clients have become more convinced as to the effectiveness of visualisation as a tool they could / should gradually move up the food chain as it were to provide work for more top end practicioners.

 

Generally it's good for us, the more companies that our utilising the skills of our sector, be it the cheapo end or the top end it ultimately helps us all.

[howelaw1]

Everything Clive says is correct. This is the nature of global competition. If you can't afford to undercut them, sell yourself as a higher quality product.

[DanGrover]

I agree that we should improve ourselves to be competitive. That is a must, and it is healthy for the business with fair competition. I don't think our privileges, though, is something to bring up, because if we are in a globalized world and in the same markets, this should not be a factor to use to argument away massive underbidding.

 

I'm a bit late to the party here, but I just wanted to add (and I think this is C G's point, so I apologise if I'm doubling up here) that I think the point re: privileges etc is that you're (most likely - visas permitting etc) free to move to Bangladesh etc where you, too, can live for much cheaper than you can in Norway. Then you too could do as you're suggesting these people do and still charge a lot for your images (after all, your talent won't have reduced) and then you could live a life of relative luxury in the third world whilst maintaining high levels of cost for images. But you haven't - now this could be because of family ties, because you like the life in Trondheim or a combination of both. But there are lots of people that aren't from London currently living in London and working in the Arch Viz industry, and I daresay they've chosen to come here due to a combination of the large pool of work and jobs available, plus the fact it's a nice city with modern infrastructure and whatnot.

 

The point being that for us, in the west, we need high prices because we couldn't afford to live here otherwise. We could move to Bangladesh and then we wouldn't need to, but we don't because we like the privileges and comfort that comes from living in the west, and which also cost us a great deal of money. That's why these privileges are relevant - because they're something that most aren't willing to jettison.

[aristocratic3d]

In Bangladesh I pay $13 to buy only 10 liters of Octane for my motor cycle. I doubt you remember how much you paid for 500 liters.

I agree with the idea that perhaps the software ought to be priced differently to encourage legal participation in some of these jurisdictions where, (sort of like I started) $12 buys you 500 litres of fuel as opposed to places in the West where it may only get you 8 or 10 or 12 litres of fuel. Max looks mighty pricey by that measure in some of these countries.

 

Yep unfortunately if we can't win work at a price that will put food on the table, then we need to look to a "Plan B".

 

It's a good job my wife is the real brains in the family otherwise I'd be screwed

[aristocratic3d]

All shared information about Bangladesh / may be any third world country here are not possibly true.

Well To be honest I dont also think that living cost here is low. It actually depends on one's expectation (from what you want to eat and wear and live on). I know people who make $6000 a year and yet dont consider themselves to be fit to marry. But I also know people who make only $3000 a year and still living with wife and kids happy. In my observation these people are more happy than the ones are making $6000.

 

 

What if I want to buy a car?

See how much to pay for a used old car - https://www.carmudi.com.bd/cars/used/?sort=price-high

**5 times than what you pay.

If I want a house with a pool in the backyard?

**Its only for very rich people.

 

SO its not that the living cost is low rather the expectations of people is less.

 

The point is that, "please dont stare at us and ask why do you lower the price?"

Because the price is balanced by the industry.

 

Back to the thread topic-

If you keep telling your price openly and market your product this way. and Jeff considers this to be absolutely fine. I will do the same.

Obviously you know very well that I can offer much cheaper than what you can.

 

I believe best way is to set up your price based on clients.