Pricing Strategy for the Woman Who Has Tried Everything

Sis, let’s talk about something that keeps you up at night and makes you want to throw your phone across the room. You’ve got the skill. You’ve got the hustle. You’ve got the talent. But when someone asks what you charge, your brain short-circuits and you blurt out a number that makes you want to cry later.

I see you. I’ve been you. And I’m here to tell you that your pricing strategy is not just about math — it’s about self-worth, and nobody taught us how to do either one properly.

Whether you’re freelancing between classes, selling your art on Instagram, tutoring on the side, doing hair, editing resumes, or running a small business from your dorm room — you are leaving money on the table. Real money. And I’m not going to let you keep doing that.

Why You Keep Underselling Yourself (And It’s Not Your Fault)

Here’s what happens. A friend of a friend hits you up. They need a logo. Or a website. Or someone to watch their kid. Or a photoshoot. They ask what you charge. And suddenly you’re doing mental gymnastics trying to figure out what’s “fair” — which usually means whatever feels like it won’t make them side-eye you.

You end up charging $50 for something that took you eight hours. That’s $6.25 an hour, girl. You could make more at a fast food drive-through, and they don’t even ask you to be creative.

The problem isn’t that you don’t know your worth. The problem is that nobody ever sat you down and showed you a real pricing strategy that accounts for your time, your talent, your overhead, and your future. We’re out here guessing, and guessing keeps us broke.

The Pricing Strategy That Changed Everything For Me

I want you to imagine something. You’re booking a client. They want a service you know how to do in your sleep. You could do it blindfolded. But instead of charging what it’s worth, you drop your price because you’re scared they’ll say no.

Here’s what I learned the hard way: the people who say no because of price were never going to be good clients anyway. They’re the ones who will ask for revisions, pay late, and drain your energy. Your pricing strategy should actually help you filter out the wrong people so you have room for the right ones.

Let me break down the framework that took me from charging $50 for a full brand package to $500 — with the exact same skills. The difference wasn’t my talent. It was my confidence and my system.

Step 1: Know Your Baseline Number

You need to know what your time is worth. Not what you think the market will bear. Not what your friend charges. What YOUR time is worth. Start with this formula:

Your Minimum Viable Rate = (Your monthly expenses + Your savings goal) / Hours you can actually work

If your rent is $800, your phone is $60, your groceries are $300, and you want to save $200 — that’s $1,360 a month. If you can realistically work 40 hours a month on your side hustle (about 10 hours a week), your minimum rate is $34 an hour. That’s before taxes. So round up to $40 and never accept less.

Step 2: Package Your Services, Don’t Sell Your Time

This is where most of you are messing up. When you charge by the hour, you cap your income. There are only so many hours in a day. But when you charge by the project or by the package, you get paid for your expertise — not your clock-in time.

Here’s an example. If you’re a graphic designer and someone wants a logo, don’t say “I charge $40 an hour and it’ll take me 5 hours.” Say “My logo package starts at $250 and includes two rounds of revisions, three concepts, and the final files.”

See what happened there? You just turned a $200 job into a $250 job, and you built in room for the revisions that always happen anyway. That’s a pricing strategy that works.

The Comparison Trap (And How to Escape It)

I know you’re scrolling through Fiverr or Upwork or Instagram and seeing people charge $20 for the same service you offer. And your brain goes “see, I can’t charge more.” But listen, those $20 gigs are usually from people who are either desperate for reviews, living in a country with a different cost of living, or just as confused as you used to be.

Your pricing strategy should be based on YOUR market, YOUR experience, and YOUR value — not the race to the bottom. You are not competing with someone who charges $20. You are competing with the person who charges $500 and actually delivers. Be that person.

Charging by Hour	Charging by Package
❌ You get penalized for being fast	✅ You get rewarded for being efficient
❌ Client questions every hour	✅ Client pays one clear price
❌ You cap your earning potential	✅ You scale without burning out
❌ Hard to raise rates later	✅ Easy to add premium packages

The Script You Need When They Ask Your Price

This is the part I wish someone had taught me at 19. When a potential client asks “what do you charge?” your instinct is to answer immediately with a number that’s too low. Don’t. You need to have a system.

Here’s what I say: “It depends on the scope of the project. Can you tell me a bit more about what you need? I’ll put together a custom quote that fits exactly what you’re looking for.”

This does two things. First, it buys you time to think instead of blurting out a number. Second, it lets you understand their needs so you can price accordingly — and add value they didn’t even know they wanted.

The Truth Nobody Tells You About Raising Prices

Here’s the part that might sting a little. You’re going to lose some clients when you raise your prices. And that’s a good thing. I know it doesn’t feel like it in the moment, but every client who leaves because you raised your rates was holding you back from finding better clients.

I had a client who paid me $200 a month for social media management. When I raised my rates to $400, she left. I was terrified. But within two weeks, I replaced her with a client who paid $600. Your pricing strategy should grow as you grow, and the people who are meant to be in your corner will stay.

How to Handle the “I Can’t Afford That” Objection

Someone is going to tell you your price is too high. It might be a friend. It might be a family member. It might be a stranger on the internet. And your first instinct will be to drop your price to make them happy. Don’t.

Here’s a script: “I understand that this might not fit your budget right now. If things change, feel free to reach out. I also offer [lower-tier option] if that works better for you.”

Notice what you didn’t do. You didn’t apologize. You didn’t justify your price. You didn’t lower it. You held your boundary and offered an alternative if you have one. If you don’t have a lower-tier option, that’s fine too. Not every client is meant for you.

The One Thing You Can Do Today to Fix Your Pricing Strategy

I want you to do something right now. Open your notes app or grab a piece of paper. Write down the last three services you offered and what you charged. Now next to each one, write what you SHOULD have charged if you were being fair to yourself.

Look at the difference. That’s not just money you left on the table. That’s your self-worth in dollars and cents. And starting today, we’re closing that gap.

Your pricing strategy is not just about making more money — though that’s a beautiful side effect. It’s about sending a message to the universe, to your clients, and most importantly to yourself, that you know what you bring to the table and you’re not apologizing for it.

This is the kind of stuff women talk about inside TechMae every single day. No judgment, just real ones keeping it real. We talk about money, boundaries, imposter syndrome, and how to stop shrinking ourselves so we can actually thrive.

Related: This post is a must-read for women on their journey to owning their worth.

Start Here

Your one action for today: pick one service you offer and create three package tiers. Basic ($), Standard ($$), and Premium ($$$). The basic covers your costs. The standard is what you actually want to charge. The premium includes everything you wish clients would ask for. Post it somewhere — your website, your Instagram, a Google Doc you share with inquiries. See what happens.

You might also love this article – one of our most shared. It’s about how to show up for yourself even when you’re running on empty.

And listen. I know this stuff is hard. I know it feels scary to name your price and stand behind it. But you have something the world needs, and you deserve to be paid fairly for it. Not barely. Fairly. There’s a difference.

The first time you get paid what you’re actually worth, you’re going to feel like you’re flying. And I want that for you. I want that so bad.