Hey everyone,
I’m about to send my first real proposal to a paying client and honestly have no idea if I’ve priced this right, scoped it right, or if I can even deliver all of it.
I’ve put ~20 hours of prep into this already and my stomach is in knots. Would massively appreciate feedback from anyone who’s been here before.
The client: Founder of a small group of companies in Germany — signet rings ( B2B via jewelers), a hair-modeling agency, and a consulting/celebrity-booking business. I know him personally, which is why he’s willing to work with someone without a track record.
What’s in the offer — 4 separate strands, €15,400 total, each bookable standalone:
Strand 1 — Signet ring visuals (€4,500 / 2 weeks)
His new collection is finished but he has no sellable product photos. I’m proposing 8 ring variants (3 designs × metals: silver/gold/rose gold), each with: print JPEG front, web JPEG front, back view, 360° rotation video. AI-generated, reference-locked for consistency, 2 revision rounds per variant. I’ve already delivered 1 variant as proof of concept (free).
Strand 2 — Lead scrapers (€3,200 / 3–4 weeks)
Two systems: (a) jewelers in DACH + adjacent EU with owner name, email, brand portfolio (Rolex, Patek, etc.), size; (b) model bookers at agencies, editorials, cosmetic brands. Both one-time setup, ongoing maintenance offered as separate retainer later.
Strand 3 — Modeling agency landing page + TikTok (€2,800 / 4–5 weeks)
Mobile-first landing page with structured application form (photos, hair type, region), GDPR-compliant, auto-confirmation email. Plus TikTok account setup (handle research, positioning, hashtag strategy). No ongoing content — that’s a later retainer.
Strand 4 — Website rebuild for the holding (€4,900 / 4–8 weeks)
Full rebuild on heritage aesthetic, restructured IA, case studies, celebrity feature, CMS so he can edit himself, mobile + GDPR.
Retainer: I floated “from €300/month per strand, scoping at launch” — honestly pulled that number out of thin air.
Where I’m uncertain (and this is the hard part to admit):
1. Can I actually deliver all of this? I’ve never done a client project end-to-end. I can build the scrapers, I think. AI product imagery I’ve tested but never shipped at this consistency. Two websites in that timeframe scares me most as I’ve no idea how to host all of this…
2. Pricing. No anchor. €15.4k feels both like a lot and way too little depending on which day you ask me. Is this ballpark sane for this scope in DACH?
3. Retainer. €300/strand/month — completely guessed. How do you structure this? Hour pool, fixed monthly, per-strand?
4. Scope traps. Where would you draw harder boundaries — especially on “2 websites” which can balloon infinitely?
5. Revenue share. He offered to cut me into bookings his system generates. I put it in a separate frame for later. Right move or am I leaving money on the table?
The real question: Did anyone else feel this terrified before their first client proposal? How did you handle the “I don’t fully know if I can do this” feeling while still sending the damn thing?
Thank you — any and all honesty welcome, even brutal.