I remember the first time I thought “If I just made a little more, everything would be fine.” I have found myself thinking the same though many times since. From today’s perspective, all of the answers were almost laughably wrong.
So, when I hear a client say As long as I’m able to charge enough to cover my living costs, I’m happy. I hear warning sirens in my head.
Now, I’m not a part of the “greed is good” brigade, far from it.
However, things do change, and “enough” changes with them. Business grows, family prospers, costs rise, and expectations multiply. What was “clearly enough” in 2021 may be closer to “clearly not enough” today.
When was the last time you checked what’s your number? Write down these three:
– – How much do you need to make a year, to live a life of purpose?
– – How many hours in a working week tend to be billable?
– – How many weeks in a year do you want to work?
When you got these three, click here and check how much per hour you need to make now to “swim”.
Be careful now: the number you get is not your price. It’s your actual cost of living.
How high the price can go depends on the value the client is willing to pay, and that’s a different number.
But at least, if you know what’s “enough” for you today – then you will have a good grasp on where your “bottom price” is. Which, in most cases, is enough to stop feeling like you are drowning.