Before encouraging my mentees to raise their rates with a client, I usually get them to consider the worst-case scenario. What would they do if the client said they couldn’t afford to pay more, and how would they deal with a negative response to their price increase?

Most people consider the best-case scenario to be the client accepting their rate increase outright, which can and does often happen. However, alongside that acceptance, you might see the amount of work the client sends you decrease, sometimes substantially. In such circumstances, perhaps the best-case scenario would actually be for the client to negotiate with you to a level they can comfortably afford, and that still works for you, so the workload doesn’t reduce.

In this blog post, I’m looking at how you can reduce the risk of clients accepting your increase but sending you less work if this isn’t your desired outcome.

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Freelancer burnout is a thing, and one of the biggest causes is a consistently heavy workload. As small business owners, we have a tendency to run ourselves into the ground to keep our customers happy. And as our businesses grow and we get more clients, we can easily find ourselves overloaded with work on a day-to-day basis.

We often think it’s a good thing if we’ve got lots of work. But overworking ourselves all the time isn’t sustainable. Sooner or later, our businesses or our health will suffer (probably both!). If we want to look after ourselves and run a business that will support us in the long term, we need to be wary of crossing that fine line between loving our work and dedicating ourselves to it 24/7.

In this blog post, I’m therefore sharing 3 different approaches you can adopt if you’re experiencing a heavy workload on a consistent basis.

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If you aren’t reliant on your business to support you financially, you might struggle to set financial goals, especially if you’re not particularly motivated by money.

Freelancers and small business owners who don’t depend on their businesses to make ends meet usually find themselves in this position when they have another source of income or support. You might not rely on your business financially if you have a separate job or if your partner earns enough to provide for you and any family you might have.

If this sounds like you and you’re finding it hard to set financial goals for your business, you’re not alone. I’ve been asked recently by more than one person how to go about setting financial goals when how much you’re earning doesn’t really matter. So in this blog post, I’m sharing 5 things you can do to help you set financial goals if you don’t depend on your business to make ends meet.

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Our businesses are our babies. That’s why it can be so upsetting when something goes wrong or a client pushes back on your prices. Sometimes you might interpret that as them saying that you and your services aren’t worth the amount you’re charging.

But this is also where our emotions tend to get in the way. Far too often, I see freelancers and small business owners charging prices that are a direct reflection of their own self-worth. So it’s only normal that this leads to upset if clients aren’t willing to pay that amount.

I teach my mentees how to set prices based solely on the numbers. This way, they can set their rates objectively and take the emotion out of negotiations. Having said that, it can still feel frustrating when a client pushes back on your prices. So here are 3 things you can do to avoid these negative feelings and still get paid an amount that works for you.

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When it comes to discussions around how to increase your prices, standard advice seems to suggest that you should raise your rates at the start of each calendar year.

I like the fact that this advice encourages freelancers to think about putting their prices up on a fairly regular basis. Having said that, I don’t think increasing your rates once a year is the perfect approach.

Raising your rates across the board with all your clients at the same time is a risky strategy. You’re putting yourself in a vulnerable position if they can’t or won’t pay more.

I therefore encourage my mentees to both review and increase their prices consistently over the course of the year. In this blog post, I’m sharing 3 steps to help you do this so you can raise your rates without putting your business at risk.

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This blog post comes off the back of a question I was asked recently by one of my mentees. She was told by another freelancer in her field that some of her packages were priced too low, and she asked me if she should raise her rates as a result.

Being told by other freelancers that we’re undercharging can be upsetting. No one wants to feel as though they’re getting their prices wrong. And especially when we work in a field we care about, we don’t want to feel potentially responsible for damaging the industry.

It’s only natural that situations like these can make you question your pricing. My mentee was left wondering whether she should increase her rates and change her approach to package creation. In this blog post, I’m sharing my response so that you know what to do the next time you find yourself asking if you’re undercharging.

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I’ve found myself speaking a lot recently about the connection between finances and mental health. More specifically, I’ve been talking about the impact your finances can have on your mental health and how they can affect your overall well-being.

I recently did a workshop on money and mental health, and I’ve also been a guest on a podcast, discussing why taking care of your finances is so important for your mental health.

All these discussions around money and mental health got me thinking about pricing in particular and why your rates tend to have an effect on your well-being in general.

So in this blog post, I’m sharing 5 reasons why getting your prices right can have a positive impact on how you feel overall.

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Preparing a quote for a potential client can sometimes feel like a bit of a minefield. What should you include? How should you present it? And what will give your quote the best chance of success?

In my experience, how you present your prices plays a key part in how they’re received, whether or not they’ll be confirmed, and if you’ll earn a fair amount for the work you do. In fact, I’d argue that in many cases the presentation of your prices is actually more important than the prices themselves. This is because the thought and care that goes into your quote reflects the kind of service you’re going to provide and whether it’s going to be worth the cost to the client.

With this in mind, you want to make sure you’re getting your quotes right! So, here are the 7 things I’d recommend including in every quotation you put together.

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