GarthBox

Most of the time, my rate is $130-$150 an hour. It doesn’t matter what I’m freelancing – if it’s writing, consulting, concepting or speaking.

I charge that much for two reasons:

1. It enables me to make slightly more than whatever cost is associated with the task.
2. It enables me to give more value than what my time is priced at.

While the first point is important for cash flow, what matters most is the second point.

At any given point, the person you’re working for may be asking themselves if you’re worth the money they’re paying you. And the best way you can determine their conclusion is to put yourself in their shoes.

Would you pay you for that hour of your time that you’re charging them?

If the answer is no, it’s time to either lower your rates or increase the value you bring.

A quick tangent: You can work with the buyer to determine how you can provide more value. It’s not about working harder or putting more hours in than what you’re charging for; it can be as simple as asking questions about what your client or customer finds valuable and about what can make their life easier. You can increase your value by adding to the relationship and by building trust. Yes, still build better things, but double the value of those by building connection, too.

Stay Positive & Time For A Price Increase Perhaps?

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How many questions a day are you asking?

How many times are you typing something into Google or asking a friend?

How often are you observing the moments happening around you and wondering why?

While answers carry their own importance, it’s vital we remain curious as marketers. It’s how we can better empathize and serve others.

If you’re not asking at least twenty questions per day, it might be time to fuel that curious mind of yours.

And the best way to do that? Ask questions.

Stay Positive & Are You Ready?

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There’s plenty to learn from when you observe past work, but it’s the mental reaction that’s most rewarding – and daunting.

The majority of time we look back at past work, watch our speaking engagements, read our writing, reflect on a project we led–we see that it wasn’t that bad.

It’s that same mental reaction, however, that stops us from ruminating on the past work to begin with.

In doing so, we know that we’ll be giving ourselves permission (or better yet, the responsibility) to do the work again and maybe slightly better.

After all, it wasn’t that bad the last time despite what we’ve been telling ourselves about it, so why not go at it again?

Not looking at what we’ve created is simply a form of hiding.

Stay Positive & You’re Not Hiding, Are You?

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Let’s imagine you’re in a car race. You’re at the starting strip and the countdown is underway.

3…2…1…

You’ve likely waited until after the 1 to go. You erred on the side of being too late than too early.

After all, you know there’s a penalty in a race for going too soon.

Yet, that’s not the case in life. If anything, we’re rewarded more often when we act before 1 or before 2 or even before 3.

It may be time to stop treating everything as a race. Doing so is likely holding you back.

Stay Positive & Go, Go, Go

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Before Johnny Cupcakes started selling shirts, there were positive-minded people who listened to screamo music.

Before Sbux introduced PSL, there were people already obsessed with pumpkin spice.

Before the Honest Company started selling their baby products, there were parents wanting to use the best baby booty creams.

We don’t invent tribes; we simply find the others and connect them with our brand.

Stay Positive & Carry On, They Are Out There

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Most businesses can get a bit more efficient, but to get as cheap as possible, they will have to cut corners, sacrifice quality and take benefits away.

At some point – not far from where you’re at – cheapness becomes a descriptor and not a signal of efficiency.

It’s worth noting that no brand was ever known for being the cheapest. And if they are, I’d bet they’re no longer in business.

Two thoughts on a pricing solution:

• Charge enough to cover slightly more than the cost of creating the goods
• Charge less enough to ensure people feel they are getting more value out than the cost they’re putting in

Stay Positive & What’s Your Cost Again?

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It may not be original to everyone, but if it’s original to the consumer you’re targeting, then that’s a win.

It’s not about creating something new for everyone, it’s about creating everything new for someone.

Original is all in the eyes of the person you’re trying to reach.

Don’t try to convince yourself something’s not original and shouldn’t be shipped.

Stay Positive & Keep Shipping

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