“You are not charging for the hour. You are charging for the decade of experience you crammed into that hour.”
Listen, I need to talk to you about your money. Specifically, about how you price your services. Your pricing strategy is probably the thing keeping you up at night, right next to that text you shouldn’t send.
You’re killing yourself doing graphic design for $20 a logo. Or writing 10 blog posts for the price of a Starbucks order. Or tutoring for less than the campus dining hall pays. Sis, we have to fix this. Today.
It’s not just about getting paid. It’s about the message you send when you don’t value your own time. Let’s build a pricing strategy that doesn’t make you feel icky.
Why You’re Probably Charging Like It’s 2005
Let’s get real. You’re undercharging because you’re scared. Scared they’ll say no. Scared you’re not “experienced enough.” Scared to ask for what you actually need to pay your part of the rent.
You look at your bank account, see that negative sign, and think “something is better than nothing.” Girl, that is a trap. That mindset has you running in circles for crumbs.
You also have no frame of reference. Nobody taught us this in school. They taught us calculus but not how to calculate our own damn worth. So you google “how much to charge for social media management” and get 50 different answers from 2008.
💡 Quick Tip
Stop charging by the hour immediately. Hourly pricing caps your income at the number of hours you can physically work. You want to charge for the VALUE and the RESULT, not the time it takes you.
And let’s talk about the “friend discount.” Doing a “favor” for your cousin’s startup that takes 15 hours of your weekend? That’s not a favor, that’s a part-time job you’re doing for free. It burns you out and makes you resentful.
💊 What Works: Profit First for Creatives – This book flips the script. It teaches you to pay yourself FIRST from every payment, before any expenses. It changes your entire relationship with money from “what’s left over” to “I am the priority.”
What Actually Works: The 3-Step Pricing Strategy
Forget the complicated formulas. Your new pricing strategy has three steps. Do them in order, and do not skip step two. I mean it.
Step 1: Find Your Absolute Minimum. This isn’t your dream rate. This is the “I will not get out of bed for less than this” number. Calculate your monthly NEEDS: rent, utilities, groceries, tuition payment, gas, minimum debt payments. Add 30% for taxes (trust me, the IRS will find you). Divide that by the number of clients or projects you can realistically handle in a month. That’s your project minimum.
If your needs are $2,500/month and you can handle 5 clients, you cannot accept less than $500 per client. Period. This is math, not feelings.
Freelancers who value their work attract clients who value it too.
Step 2: Spy On Your Competition (The Right Way). Find 5 people doing what you do, who you admire, and who look successful. Check their websites, their LinkedIn, their Instagram. What are their packages? Do NOT copy their prices. You’re looking for the LANGUAGE they use and the STRUCTURE of their offers.
Are they offering one-time projects or monthly retainers? Do they have a “base package” and an “all-inclusive” package? This tells you what the market expects. Now, place yourself in that range, based on your skill and experience. If they charge $800-$1500 for a website, and you’re newer but capable, maybe you start at $600. Not $150.
Step 3: Price the Outcome, Not the Task. This is the game-changer. You’re not selling “10 Instagram posts.” You’re selling “increased engagement and a cohesive brand aesthetic that attracts your ideal customer.” See the difference?
When a client asks what you charge, you say: “My packages are based on the goals we’re trying to achieve. For example, most clients looking for [result they want] invest between [your range].” You immediately sound like a consultant, not a task-doer.
The Truth Nobody Tells You About Your Pricing Strategy
Okay, lean in. The clients who haggle you down over $50 will be your biggest nightmares. They will demand endless revisions, email you at 2 AM, and pay late every single time.
The clients who agree to your rate without blinking? They will respect your boundaries, give clear feedback, and send you referrals. Your pricing strategy is a filter. It filters out the time-wasters and attracts the dream clients.
Also, you will feel physically sick the first time you say your new rate out loud. Your voice will shake. Your palms will sweat. That’s normal. It’s called growth. Do it anyway. The second time is easier. The tenth time, you’ll say it with a smile.
“Your rate is not just a number. It’s the value you place on your own peace, your time, and your energy.”
Let’s talk about raising your rates. You don’t need a “reason” like more experience. Inflation is a reason. Your skills are sharper now is a reason. You want to make more money is a valid reason. For existing clients, you can grandfather them in at the old rate for 3 more months as a courtesy, then let them know your new rate will apply.
This is the kind of stuff women talk about inside TechMae every single day. No judgment, just real ones keeping it real.
Related: This post is a must-read for women on their journey.
Start Here: Your One Move for This Week
I’m not letting you leave this page without one action. This week, you will do this one thing to fix your pricing strategy.
Audit Your Last 3 Clients. Pull up your last three projects or clients. How many hours did you actually spend (including emails, calls, revisions)? What did you charge? Do the math: your effective hourly rate.
If you charged $200 for a project and it took 20 hours, you made $10/hour. That’s less than minimum wage in most states. Let that sink in. Seeing that number on paper changes everything. It turns anxiety into actionable anger.
Why This Works:
✅ It’s data, not drama. You can’t argue with your own time log.
✅ It shows you your leak. Are you spending 5 hours on calls you didn’t bill for? Now you know.
✅ It gives you a baseline. Your new goal is to double that effective hourly rate on your very next project.
Once you have that number, increase it by 50% for your next quote. Yes, 50%. The worst they can say is no. And “no” just frees up your time for a “yes” that pays what you deserve.
You might also love this article – one of our most shared.
This Is Your Sign to Stop Doing It Alone
Women inside TechMae have been exactly where you are. We share real rate sheets, practice tough conversations, and celebrate each other’s first “hell yes” to a high-paying client. Come find your people.
