Most freelancing advice says to price on value, not time. This page is why Yoursellf asks you to do the opposite, at least at the start.
A new client cannot price an outcome
Value pricing needs a client who already trusts you. Someone who has never seen your work cannot put a number on a result you have not delivered yet. A flat fee asks them to trust your guess before they have anything to go on. Most of them say they will think about it.
A block of hours is easy to understand. The client knows what an hour is and what they are getting for it. It is the smallest thing they can say yes to without a sign-off, a proposal, or a contract.
Several small clients beat one big one
Everything most freelancers build is aimed at landing one big client. The portfolio, the proposal template, the discovery call. That is one yes or nothing, and the yes takes a month. A handful of small jobs for a handful of clients adds up to the same hours as one job, and each of them was an easy decision. Losing one is a bad week, not a bad year.
The first block is a trial for both sides
They see the work. You see whether they pay on time, know what they want, and respect the hours. When it is working, bill however suits you both. A flat rate, a retainer, or keep going by the hour. When it is not, the block ends and the engagement ends with it.
Small jobs are the proof
A resume says where you sat. A few short jobs say what you fixed, for whom, and whether they came back. People hiring for small gigs want to know you can solve their problem, and this is how you show them.