5 signs you’re undercharging
Anna Stubbs • March 16, 2023
Are you undercharging for your services? It can be hard to tell, particularly if you’re in a niche industry or you’re a contractor. Costs have been rising, so it may be time to rethink your own pricing.
Here are five signs that you might be undercharging:
- Nobody ever questions your quotes - Do all your new clients accept your quotes or charges without asking any questions, requesting a breakdown or wanting a discount? It’s possible they’re delighted to be getting such a great deal.
- You run off your feet but you can’t afford to get help - When you’re working yourself to the bone, but there’s not enough money left over to employ someone to help you, your prices are too low – or something else needs to change.
- Your prices have been the same for two years or more - In most industries, prices increase just slightly each year. Leave your prices flat for too long and you’re not keeping up with the market; make sure you review your fees annually.
- You’re overbooked - When business is booming and there’s no room for new clients, it’s time to raise your prices.
- Clients don’t treat you as well as they should
- When clients think they’re paying peanuts, they’ll often take you for granted. They don’t see your time as valuable, so they feel free to mess you around.
What should you be charging?
Finding your pricing sweet spot could take a little time. You’ll need to do some research, maybe ask around a little, and find out where your competitors are pitching their rates. We can help too – if we have clients in similar industries we might be able to give you some indication of typical fees, so give us a call or drop us a note. We’d love to hear from you.
Running a business costs money. There are always costs, overheads and supplier bills that mount up – and these expenses will gradually chip away at your cash position, making it more difficult to grow and make a profit. So, what can you do to reduce your spend levels? And what impact will this have on your overall margins, profits and ability to fund the next stage in your business journey?
You know that an accountant can look after the books and keep your numbers in good order. But have you ever thought about the additional services and advice that an accountant can bring to you as a fully fledged business adviser, coach and mentor? Let’s explore what other business-critical services your adviser could offer:
To understand the financial position of a business at a specific point of time, look at the balance sheet. The balance sheet may also be called the statement of financial position. Together with the Profit and Loss Statement, and possibly other reports such as the Statement of Cash-flow, these reports provide a complete understanding of the financial position and business performance. So what’s involved: The balance sheet has three sections: assets, liabilities and equity.