Your advertised hourly price can hide the hours that make delivery possible. A freelancer might spend ten hours on paid work and another five on preparation, messages and finding customers. Only looking at the paid hours gives an incomplete picture.
List the hours in an ordinary week
Separate paid delivery from unpaid working time. Include learning only when it forms part of the scenario you want to examine. Avoid counting the same hour twice. If you have not started yet, label your inputs as assumptions and revisit them after real work.
Include the costs you expect to pay
Enter fixed monthly expenses separately from a percentage revenue fee. Do not assume a default example represents any provider’s terms. Read the actual terms for the payment or service you intend to use.
Compare two scenarios
Try a cautious scenario with fewer paid hours and a more optimistic one. Keep the other inputs clear. The gap shows how much the result depends on attracting enough paid work; it does not predict which scenario will happen.
Use a planning price carefully
The rate planner can show a price that covers your stated income target and costs. Whether a customer will pay that amount is a separate question. Test the offer, learn from actual responses and consider changing the service or scope if the economics do not work.
Record and revisit
After a delivery, compare estimated hours with actual hours. Track revision rounds and expenses. A price becomes more useful when it rests on your own records rather than a number copied from someone else’s success story.