Quick wording tip on stating fees for small business owners

When people ask you what you charge, instead of saying, “I charge x…” try “The fee for this type of work is…” Or “The cost for this type of service ranges from x to y, depending on what level of service you choose”. It may sound like a minor difference, but it is one way of saying that your business is charging the money, not you personally!

When people call me about private work, I don’t say, “I charge this much per hour”. Instead, I say, “Generally speaking, financial counseling runs about this much per month. You can pay for it in these ways…” Keep in mind that we don’t get to keep everything that people pay us anyways. They are paying our company, and we have to pay out costs and taxes. But this is more about a mental shift and goes back to the fact that we over-identify with our business. This makes it hard on everyone. Stop taking everything so personally! Your clients are paying your company, even if it is just you. So watch what you say. How do YOU state your fees?

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