Traveling Expense?

[Mary Reilly]

I was curious as to how some of you handle travel expense. Traveling a distance is easy to figure out (plane fare, etc). I'm wondering about charging for travel when traveling by car. Obviously if you drive a half-hour there is no charge. How about an hour away, hour and a half, two hours etc? Where do you draw the line? Do you draw the line based on time, or by the number of miles from your studio? Do you charge a flat rate, or a per mile rate or a time-factored rate? Gee, can you tell that I am full of questions about this? The other day I had to drive an 1 1/2 hours to a clients house. I didn't charge for travel, but while I was driving back to my studio I started wondering if this is a distance that others charge extra for.

Suggestions anyone?

Mary Reilly

[Michael Georges]

Hi Mary:

Living in Denver, I don't charge travel for anything inside the "Denver Metro Area". Now, living in Manassas, you may want to consider not charging for the "greater Washington D.C. metro area", although, a trip from Manassas to the other side of the beltway is quite a trek.

I charge .35 per mile plus $25 per hour of my time - factored into the cost of the portrait. Have never had to charge it, but I know what to say if it ever comes up.

[Peggy Baumgaertner]

Mary,

My fix for all travel questions.

When I was working for Portrait Brokers, I ran into the problem of living in Wisconsin when most of their commissions were from the South. Many of my competitors were living within driving distance and did not charge for travel, where I had the dreaded "...travel expenses not included" hanging over my price, which could easily dissuade a potential client.

What I do now: as I make up my price list and come up with what I consider a fair price, I tack on $500 to each price on the fee schedule. Sometimes my travel costs are more, sometimes my travel costs are less, but in the end they are all covered. I do not announce that this fee is in the cost of the portrait, I just say, "All travel fees included."

I learned a very important lesson at some mid point in my career. People are apprehensive about add-ons. If they are paying, say, $5,000 (...or $30,000...) for a painting, they don't want an additional bill for $334 for air fare, $190 for hotel, $17 for taxi, $5 for tips.

At the least, increase your portrait price to include your car travel expenses. It then becomes a non-issue.

Peggy

(BTW, I wouldn't worry that charging the same amount for travel fees to your next door neighbor as you do to the family three hours away, is not being "fair." There are too many intangibles in this business to think that the process is ever equal. Paintings that paint themselves in days and others that you take months to complete, photo sessions you have to re-shoot, paintings you have to do over, the list is endless....)

[Mary Reilly]

Thanks Michael and Peggy for responding.

The prices from Michael sound fair. If I go that route I think I'll try them.
I am however, thinking that some of Peggy's points have definite merit. That certainly makes everything easier and does sound less scarey for the client. I'm going to mull over changing my price list. Also, you're right Peggy, sometimes a portrait falls into place and the profit margin is high, while other times the portrait drives me nuts, takes forever, and my profit is eaten away.

Thanks for the input.
Mary

[Leslie Ficcaglia]

Mary,

I was about to post the same question when I saw that you had already broached it. I don't think about travel expenses when I'm driving less than an hour away but I had also wondered where to begin charging, and how. I may be getting some good exposure in a magazine with a readership in the northern part of the state, and since my prices are low to begin with and I normally paint people in my own area, I can't build the extra expenses into my fee without inflating it unrealistically and pricing myself out of my current market. On the other hand I don't want to have to absorb the cost in time and expenses for traveling three hours each way and spending a whole day on a photo session. Maybe Michael's formula would work, but again, I would hate to have it look as though I value my travel time more highly than my painting time.

[Annette Ellingwood]

Mary,

I also factor in the travel expenses. People are uncomfortable about add-ons. It's like hiring a plumber. How long will it take? The final price is an unknown. It is worrisome. People like to know the bottom line and then get on to the fun part: the portrait!