How to Price Your Services Without Selling Yourself Short

If I had to name the most common mistake I see in coaching sessions, it's this: people charge too little. Not because they're bad at business, but because they're nervous. Nobody wants to be told their price is too high, so they quietly set it low and hope volume makes up the difference. It rarely does.

Start with what it actually costs you

Before you look at what anyone else charges, add up what one job or one product really costs you: materials, software, travel, fees and, most important, your time. Put a real hourly number on your time, even if you're the only employee. If your price doesn't cover all of it, you're paying your customers to work for them.

Then look at the value, not just the hours

A headshot takes an hour to shoot. The person in it might use it for ten years on LinkedIn, their website and every conference badge. Your price should reflect what your work is worth to the customer, not only how long it took you.

Offer a few clear choices

Three options (good, better, best) make it easy for people to say yes. Most will pick the middle one, and a few will surprise you by picking the top. Keep each option simple enough to explain in one sentence.

Raise prices on purpose

If you're booked solid and nobody ever pushes back on your price, it's too low. Raise it for new customers first, give current customers notice, and watch what happens. Usually, nothing bad does.

Talk it through

Pricing is one of the most common things we work on in free coaching at The Biz Foundry. Bring your numbers, and we'll find a price that works for you and your customers.