PRICING YOUR PASSION WITHOUT GUILT

Mindset, Maths and Strategy for Women Building Something New

Can I be honest with you for a second? You have done something really brave. You are about to or have walked away from the salary, the title, the calendar full of meetings that could have been emails. You are building something that actually feels like you. And then someone asked what you charge and you completely bottled it.

I know. I’ve been there too. So let’s talk about it properly, because the way you price yourself matters more than any logo or website you’ll ever have.

The Guilt Trap: Why We Undercharge

Here’s the thing nobody says out loud. We don’t undercharge because we’re bad at maths. We undercharge because we’ve spent decades being told that wanting to be paid well is somehow not very nice.

Think about it. Corporate life, where someone else decided your worth. Social conditioning that said good women are helpful and accommodating. And now you’re sitting there trying to put a number on something you genuinely love doing, and it feels awkward and a bit ick.

“What if they think I’m too expensive?” “Who am I to charge that much?” “I should just be grateful anyone wants to work with me.”

Those aren’t business thoughts. Those are old wounds. And they will keep you broke if you let them make your decisions.

We undercharge because we are new or just starting out. This is not a reason to undervalue what you have to offer. The years of experience that you have gathered, the knowledge that you have.

Every time you undercharge, you end up exhausted and resentful, working twice as hard for clients who don’t fully value what you do. Undercharging isn’t being kind. It’s self-sabotage in a nice outfit.

Do the Maths: What You Actually Need to Earn

Before we talk strategy, grab a pen. Write down what you genuinely need to take home each month: bills, food, rent or mortgage, savings, the lot. Don’t shrink the number. Be honest.

Now add your business costs: insurance, software, marketing, your website, your accountant. These are real costs that belong in your pricing.

Here’s the bit most people miss: not all your working hours are billable. Admin, marketing, emails and networking all eat into your week. Realistically, about half your hours are actually income-generating. So if you need £3,000 a month and you have 80 billable hours, your minimum rate is £37.50 an hour before you’ve made a single penny of profit. Run your own numbers. I promise the result will surprise you.

The Pricing Formula: Four Things That Belong in Every Price

Good pricing isn’t guesswork and it’s not just picking a number that feels comfortable. There are four things that should go into every price you set.

First, your cost of delivery: your time plus any materials. If something takes you five hours and your floor rate is £60 an hour, you’re starting at £300 before anything else.

Second, your overheads. A chunk of every sale needs to cover the running costs of your business. Work out what your monthly overheads are as a percentage of your income and add that into every job.

Third, profit margin. And I want you to hear this clearly: profit is not greed. Profit is what lets you reinvest, take a week off without panicking, and still be in business next year. Build in at least 20 to 30 per cent.

Fourth, and this is the one that changes everything: the value to your client. Not what it costs you to deliver, but what it is worth to them. If you help someone land a job that pays £20,000 more a year, or finally get their health sorted, or build a business that works, your fee is not an expense for them. It’s an investment. Price it like one.

And one more thing that catches so many people out: tax. Whatever you earn, a chunk of it is not yours to keep. If you’re self-employed in the UK, you’ll owe income tax and National Insurance on your profits, and if you go over the VAT threshold (currently £90,000), you’ll need to add that into the mix too. A rough rule of thumb is to set aside around 25 to 30 per cent of your income for tax, though your accountant will give you the exact figure for your situation. The point is this: when you set your prices, you need to be earning enough after tax to actually live on. Factor it in from the start so it never comes as a nasty surprise. Also, put that sum aside in a separate bank account.

You Need Three Tiers, Not Just One Price

Not everyone is ready to jump straight to your main offer, and that’s fine. Having three tiers means you can meet people where they are.

Your entry tier is a low-cost, low-commitment way for someone to try working with you. A workshop, a single session, a short guide. It builds trust.

Your standard tier is your core offer, the thing you do most, priced to properly reflect your expertise. This is where most of your income should come from.

Your premium tier is for the clients who want all of you: your time, your focus, your best work. VIP days, retainers, high-touch packages. Price this one so it feels a tiny bit scary. That means you’ve got it right.

How to Say Your Price Without Dying Inside

The way you present your price is everything. If you apologise before you say it, or hedge, or add ‘I know it’s a lot’, you’re telling your client not to believe in it.

Say the number. Then stop talking. Silence after a price is completely normal. It doesn’t mean no. It means they’re thinking. Let them think.

In conversation, try something like: ‘The investment for this is £X, which includes [what’s in it]. Shall I tell you a bit more about how it works?’

By email: ‘Thanks so much for getting in touch. Based on what you’ve shared, I’d suggest [service]. The investment is £X and includes [deliverables]. I have availability from [date]. Here’s how to get started: [link].’

No apology. No justification. Just quiet confidence. The right clients will meet you there. If potential clients don’t book on price then they aren’t you ideal clients.

The Pricing Audit: Know Your Real Numbers

This takes about 20 minutes and it’s worth every one of them. Add up your monthly personal outgoings and your monthly business costs. Multiply by 12. Divide by your realistic billable hours for the year. That number is your absolute floor rate. Anything below it and you are literally paying to work.

Now look at what you’re actually charging. The gap between those two numbers is the conversation your bank account has been trying to have with you.

This isn’t about shame. It’s just information. And information is where everything changes.

Your Pricing Story: From Then to Now

Every single woman I know who has built a business has a moment they cringe about. The £25 session that took a whole day to prepare. The project priced so low she worked out she’d earned less than minimum wage. The invoice she sent with her eyes half shut.

The shift doesn’t usually come from a spreadsheet. It comes from the moment you decide that your experience is actually worth something. All those years in corporate life, all that accumulated knowledge, all that expertise you carry so lightly you’ve almost forgotten it’s rare: it counts. You count.

The women who change their pricing don’t just change a number. They stop apologising for taking up space. They start treating what they do as the valuable, meaningful thing it actually is.

You are not charging for your time. You are charging for the change you create in someone’s life. That is worth so much more than you’ve been asking for. Go price it properly.