i get what you're saying. i work in software consulting. and since we're a small firm, we also charge a premium for what we consider more quality built into the custom software we build than a larger firm that has pre-packaged products. but i'm still always giving my potential customers a quote on what i think the cost of a project will be--even very early on before all the requirements are gathered. i try to give prices frequently and early because chasing business takes a lot of my time. i don't want to keep talking to someone if i'm not in their price range.
