I'm a small time, freelance website developer and i have a few people getting jobs for me. a problem i have not been able to solve is HOW MUCH DO I PAY MY MIDDLEMEN

what is a good and acceptable percentage? %15? %20? %25? and what if there are more than one like right now, have 2 middle men, how do i pay them both?

so what is an acceptable percentage for a freelance website developer to pay for getting a job?

My rule of thumb is that any business should make at least 300% profit: 100% for savings, 100% to plow back into the business and 100% to cater to costs. So, if you are to follow my mantra, then:

1) you talk in advance with respect to what they want to be paid,
2) you weigh that with what you are actually able to pay and
3) taking #2 into consideration, you factor in this cost into your own pricing and see if clients will go for it. If they do, you are fine. If not, you negotiate down with your middlemen. If the middlemen don't agree, you keep searching for one who will.

Good luck!

yawa-ti-de, thanks for your input. but i'm in a situation where i didn't consider all that, as i told one of the middlemen before. so how do i settle them without consider them and the work to be done

Then you need to negotiate with them what you think is a fair price. If they don't agree, in order to save your reputation, "close eye" and pay but bear in mind, the contents of my original post for the future.

Good luck and Merry Christmas!

so what percentage would you give em if you were in my case? cos i can't think of anything and they won't suggest anything. i was going to give 15% each, what you think?

15% of what? I mean you need to be more specific. 15% of N1 is 15kobo which would be an insult while 15% of 1m is 150K

So, again, 15% of what?

lol. ok, i'm talking at least 500 EUROS

Based on at least 500 euros, I don't think 75 euros each is a bad deal.

lol bad deal for them? so what do you suggest for that amount?

Photoshop/fireworks design + at least the html code of the home page

i meant, how many percent is fair for that amount?

hmm, na wa for you o! You said there are 2 of them and I am saying split 150 - 200 euros b/w the 2 of them if they are doing the work evenly or you can pay them based on the %age of work done by each.

I guess I don't understand where you are going

no, you're on the right track. the first guy got the job for the second guy. the payments come through the first guy. the second guy gave me the job as he knows nothing about websites. so, the first guy doesn't really do much. and the second guy, well, we sometimes talk to the client on my behalf. so that's about the work they do. but i guess i have to know exactly how much i'd be getting first to decide. thanks for your input anyways.