This has been brought up a couple of times..but Im still unsure. How much would you charge a business for an app? Wanting to master software development (actual coding and/or building new/old/current skills) sometimes gets in the way of wanting to attain clients to build apps for. Plus I really just want to make one great piece of software like buzztouch,photoshop,etc. Then when I tell people hey I can build this , build that, they ask for an example, but I dont have anything in my portfolio, because I dont really make apps, I just code in unix/linux command lines when Im not practicing coding in xcode or eclipse.ha horrible sentence structure. But yes Im currently making a website and mobile apps for a good friends business so I can have something to show off. Theres not any actual mobile development company locally and I kind of want to take it on, but want to be fair to myself too. What have yall (yes Im from texas) charged? And how do yall do the graphic design of yalls app? Im horrible at design, I just know how to make things "work" thanks Chris Coffee

Hi CMCOFFEE firstly, it might be a good idea just to build a demo app and publish, showing all features. It might be good to also ensure you put a little bit of thought into design as well, you will need to know some basic Photoshop skills. At least you will have something to show. I develop a lot of apps and mobile products in JQuery Mobile or HTML 5. Much easier for my colleagues I work with and I keep Xcode and eclipse to a minimum, however the best apps are made natively. In regards to cost, for me, I charge from about £500 for an app on one platform upwards depending on many factors. But generally, I charge about £1200 for both iOS & Android, but that is for a basic app with some basic features. I think you can only price an app once you know what the client wants, then judge how long it may take to build and also take into consideration, any rejections from Apple and tweak changes that may incur. For me, though, the key thing in selling an app service to a business, is to be able to show them the benefits of having an app and how it can have an impact on the business positively. You get this right, you will have no problem. Anyway as you have helped me, I can help you with some design if you need it, just let me know.

A few things I have learned in my software development career, you have to know what your self worth is. Figure out an hourly rate that you're comfortable with and start with that. You can't charge every customer the same price for work that comes across your desk. Once you know what your hourly rate is, work with the client to understand their business needs. Gather the requirements and specifications for the project to gain a better understanding of what the actual work will entail. After you have beyond basic requirements for the project, start your scoping (estimation). Break out the development into granular tasks so you know exactly what to focus your attention on. This will allow you to estimate each "task" by the minute/hour to provide a quote for your client. This way will provide true transparency for your clients and will allow you to remain on track for hitting your milestones. Obviously the scope of the work will change as clients start to see demonstrations of your work, but always be sure to include a realistic buffer in your estimation of your tasks to allocate for these changes. It will definitely help set yourself up for success.

thanks for the advice! still trying to plan it out