Raise your rates in the new year
Not sure how much to increase your prices?
Does it feel scary?
Not sure what to say?
I get it! It can feel complicated and scary and overwhelming. The good news is there is a simple way through. If you can pluck up just a little courage, you can give yourself a great gift in the future.
☞ My quickie guidance for raising rates
1
Raise your rates once a year.
Make it a routine.
2
As a baseline, use your city-specific Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) percentage.
At a minimum. (Otherwise, you are literally taking a pay-cut.) I recommend adding 1-5% more as a raise, to reflect your growing expertise, especially if you have invested in professional development.
3
Keep your email to clients simple.
This is standard practice in business. No need to explain, simply announce your new prices for the upcoming year.
4
Get a friend to sit next to you when sending out the emails.
Outsource your courage / will power!
5
If needed, offer special pricing to some clients.
If you have some clients who might struggle with paying your new prices, consider offering them “bridge” pricing for 3-6 months, or even for the full year. A rate in between the old and the new, or anything that feels right.
One last note about the mindset: I invite you to make this decision based on what will keep The Talent - YOU - happy in this job.
A common mistake is to base pricing off what we perceive clients can pay. To think about their needs first, before our own. While we want to serve our community, and be affordable to people…. It’s important we earn what we need to be able to stay in our job! Generally, I recommend adjusting your prices so can earn what you want/need, then make a few spots for sliding scale or special pricing as needed. Allow those special clients to be exceptions, and not the primary factor in this decision.
You got this!
Good luck!
🙌
If this helps you raise your rates, I would love to hear about it. Please send me a note and I can celebrate with you. :) Jenny
Thriving Plan for the Year Ahead
Rough Draft
Thriving takes cultivation!
And time!
And you are so worth it.
Ever feel like you're back in a hamster wheel with work? This is very common, as we try to please all our clients, families, friends...we can get stuck in a rut, so, so easily. It turns out, that loving your job, having things in balance, earning enough ... in other words, thriving, has to be cultivated. One strategy, is to set up an annual Thriving Plan.
Here's a tool for you to try out. (You might recognize it, it's revised from an earlier tool.)
Taking even 20-30 minutes to fill this out can make all the difference!
Start with the easiest boxes on the outside. Continue to fill them in to see what your priorities are for the year. Add any vacations, trips, retreats. Lastly, create your weekly schedule(s) and monthly routines - as a way to fit in all of your priorities.
Not sure what to write? Or trying to get it “perfect”. …Just guess! You can always change it later. There is great power in starting. And often, our gut-initial-instincts are what we really need/want.
First, I’ll share my example to give you an idea. Then, there are 4 different templates to choose from.
My Example
My biz year goes from Sep - Aug
Click on the image or the Option # to download.
Option 2
Year going from January - December
With 2 different weekly schedules - a and b
Option 1
Year going from January - December
With one type of weekly schedule
Option 4
Year going from September - August
With 2 type of weekly schedules
Option 3
Year going from September - August
With 1 type of weekly schedule
Wishing you some time in your schedule … to do this important work! I hope it feels fun and magical.
♡ Jenny
P.S. Want a little company or guidance with this? I’d love to help! I offer One-Time consults - and the goal is that they are game-changers. We can fill out your plan, talk through any roadblocks, highlight new desires, and whatever else you need to feel great about your job and life. Oh, and starting this year, you can bring a friend to the consult, and I can meet with both of you for the same price.
The Fall Refresh
A huge part of being a Great Boss, is to find ways to make your life easier and to feel good. This might look like:
making sure you have the right tools for your job
trying new little routines that bring more ease
cutting things out of your job description
infusing a little fun or joy
The Fall is a natural time to check in, and do a little Refresh. The idea here is that it’s a quick little adjustment - that moves something stale out, and something fresh in.
This can take as little as 5 minutes, more if you like. And it can make a huge difference.
Check out the worksheet below. And/or consider these questions for a moment. Then, pick 1 or both actions to commit to. Please, go with your gut!
One year, I committed to taking a lunch break every day. It felt like an underwhelming choice … but, it turned out to be very eye-opening, and a bit of a game-changer. At first, I could only manage 5-10 minutes, because of the ways I’d scheduled my days. Also, my body just wasn’t used to it! But over time, I realized how much I’d been in the habit of just pushing through the whole work day, in one big slog. And even though my stomach was fine, my brain was very taxed. I slowly expanded my lunch break, and this has made a huge difference.
For your Fall Refresh, you might check out the worksheet below. (Sorry, it’s a little faded.) Or, simply think on these questions, then choose 1 thing to add or change.
♡ How can I make my work (and life) a little easier for myself?
♡ What can I adjust to feel better, or more nourished?
For extra credit, tell people about this action - as often as you can. It’s great to be a Great Boss and to be seen doing it! (And who knows, you might inspire someone else to follow suit.)
Cheers, Jenny
