Hiring a designer
When hiring a graphic designer or any other professional service, keep in mind that the cheapest quote is not always the best quote. A great resource is the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines. You can pick up this resource at most bookstores and online. The handbook explains typical cost averages for most design tasks and can help a design consumer bid out a project effectively.

Beware of the pitfalls. If you find a designer that is charging substantially lower rates, be very concerned. This designer most likely has very little experience, does not report income to the government and uses stolen software and fonts. Ask yourself these questions. "If this person has no problem stealing from the government and increasing my tax burden what's to keep them from behaving unethically with me? If this person has no problem stealing intellectual property from software companies, what's to keep them from stealing creative ideas from another source, presenting them as their own and getting me into a legal bind later?"

Ask your designer for their employer identification number so you can report their income. Ask your designer what type foundry they purchase their fonts from. Ask your designer if they purchase their applications. If they cannot answer these questions or provide questionable answers, find another designer.