A lot request came in, asking for price below my budget but wanting to negotiate or discount. All they need is a “simple” website. Which equal to, a full functional website with WordPress built in and some hacks work and all, oh, don’t forget about the JQuery slider, with specific needs. I cannot really work on it nor giving any discount, simply because…

One simple website require more than 100 hours of work. From brainstorming, getting the concept and idea to fulfill the requirement. I need to then design, getting approval, waiting email reply, do some revision or so, then I will need to develop, validate the code, browsers testing and all. With all those time, I think it is more than 100 hours. Not to forget, I’m putting on many caps of being project manager + designer + developer + accountant.

I can’t do it for RMX.XX per hour.

Imagine, you are getting a wedding photography package, say, RM5000. You paid a deposit (Like me too), then you wait for the session to start, the wedding agency, started to get your gown ready, make up artist ready, photographer ready. You came in, they shoot, keep shooting. Then let you select the photos and amount according to your choosen package. You paid the balance, get the photo album (Like me too) then come your wedding day where they do the makeup & all. I don’t think it is normal for people to negotiate package pricing with wedding agency, not to mention pay later after they’re done with their job.

I can’t do it without any payment.

Ok, there come those tricky part. “I will have a lot more project coming in for you!”, let’s just say, you walked into 7-11, you get a pack of instant noddle, walked to the cashier and tell the cashier, “I will come back for more, but could you give me like RM1 less?”. Do you do that? You don’t! Because we work on what we have now.

I can’t do it with a promises.

Say you go to super market, you get a tin of milk. Then when you’re about to made payment, you tell the cashier, “I’m the only one making income for my family, can you like giving me a discount for that? I probably fall inside the poverty income group”, you don’t do that. The same when one says, “You know, I’m a small business owner. I work alone.”, well buddy, either we work alone or we work in pack, we all need to survive with payment, no?

I can’t do it for your background.

Well, student may take the job with lower pay. But one thing they don’t notice yet, like I did before. In the end of the day, it will not only ruin the whole market, it will ruin the student’s life too afterwards