[Jack the Bear]

Everyone here has given great input. I would like to add this for consideration.

In my experience people go to a facility for the personel first and gear selection second. Any other luxuries or additional services may help, but will not necessarily sway their decision.

Your track record is imperitive. The more sucessful or well-known gigs you were responsible or contributed to recently will have more impact and will give potential clients more confidence.

Don't rely on the glories of the past. People don't care. You can bet having your name on the Audioslave CD has more kudos than say a Fleetwood Mac album credit (great as the album may have been) and nothing else since then.

You may ask how do I get a track record?? Well it's a lotta hard work!!! Marketing by record companies puts you in the basket of the winning team. This is why you should treat every project like it's a priority major label release. The unknowns of today become the superstars of tomorrow.

Whether you are a project or high-end facility, your ability to gain client confidence is paramount to working consistently. Getting guys in the door and using you is the first step. Everybody started from nothing and even if some people got a break, they still had to cut the mustard.

Don't get caught up in price wars. The cheapest car isn't the most popular on the road. The market determines your worth. People can be strange. There seems to be a perception that the more they pay, the better it must be (all within reason).

I've experienced it 1st hand and seen it time and time again.

While you want to keep an eye on your competition, don't get too carried away or concerned with them. Be a trendsetter and not trendy.

As I said your ability to communicate with your clients and build relationships is of most importance.

Do some costings and work out what you need to at least cover your nut and overheads for the month.
Divide it by how many hours you are prepared to work as a minimum and there's your hourly rate.