Tre ~
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Charging--guilt free--with Spirit and glee :) - 2006/10/16 07:14
Anyone in business for herself / himself comprehends the question "what's a fair price to charge?"
In my work as a practitioner of spirituality and healing,
I help others to cultivate or renew a sense of consistent inner peace. And for what seems too long to admit, I've wrestled back and forth in my thoughts: how much should I be charging? Am I charging enough? am I charging too much? Should I charge her my going rate (if it's a friend)?
What should I be charging?
Constant back and forthing on this issue.
So I did what I've heard other newbies do in their starting out phases. I asked others in my same line of work what they were charging.
I can't lie.
That only made it worse!
Why?
Because their rates were all across the board!
Some had an hourly rate and separate charges for consultations--differing if in person vs. phone vs. internet.
For a time I felt I was drowning in a lot of possibilities...none of which felt right for one reason or another.
Truth: i was in the business of healing and helping others to cultivate and live a sense of inner peace. And here I was losing sleep over this issue.
So I did what perhaps none of you have ever done (HA!)
I ignored this issue.
I put it on the back burner.
I convinced myself that as my work matured, I'd grow into a right sense of it all.
NOPE!
That never happened.
In fact the reverse happened: I couldn't forget the issue because it was in my face--literally-- cropping up everywhere.
All of a sudden people asked me left and right about my rates. Why was I charging this amount? How did I arrive at that rate? How come I was charging so low? Didn't I realize I wasn't seeming professional at that rate? And to that same rate, still others said "how can you charge that much?"
One night, still losing sleep over it all, I was pacing the floor of my office/apartment.
Churning and churning.
And then it hit me.
DUH!
I've never once used my own "service" to figure out this very issue!
What do I mean?
Well, no matter what the issue someone brings to my attention, I give each and every client tools to work with, in my line of work, you could easily say 'tools to pray with." And if the client needs help, I offer to pray for him or her about that issue. (And this is worth another entry, but by 'pray for him or her" I mean advocate in my thoughts for their spirituality and wholeness...and seek in thought to understand how Spirit creates and governs their entire being).
In short, I teach people how to understand their relationship to Spirit and how to sift through the mental muck that gets in the way from living that freedom in any given situation.
Here I was in my own 'situation'--trying to run a business without a clear sense of what's 'fair' or 'right' or the 'going rate' to charge-- And I had yet to use my own set of tools.
I had yet to really pray about it...to sift through all the layers of the muck...all the human opinions--some wise, some not...and get a sense of peace by heeding Spirit's nudge about the situation.
It's very much like trying to sell a line of clothing you have yet to wear.
Well duh!
What designer is gonna do that? (imagine Meryl Streep's character in 'Devil wears Prada" not comprehending the clothing she adorned each model with? heck! she knew every last detail of those clothes down to the last thread).
Back to me using what I'm selling.....to call a spade a spade.
I needed to pray--or spiritualize my thoughts--about this whole process of charging.
So how do you do that?
How do you pray--spiritualize your thinking--about something so very practical and important as what to charge for a service you're providing?
Spiritualize means get the substance, the idea, behind the thing.
What's the charge represent, for example?
A charge or rate is simply a sense of valuing of that service.
And the value we place on anything comes from an appreciation of it, or the worth of the effect of having or using that product or service.
And sometimes, the valuing of a service or product may come right down to 'where would I be without this?" (like hair color for example  but seriously, shelter and food and water, truly).
So to spiritualize your sense of what you are charging for your service or product, throw your mental arms around 'What do I value about this work? What do I value about this service?
Well, as I did this, I actually laughed out loud SO LOUDLY that my dog leaped up out of his bed!
I scooped him up. And right there, at 2 am in my living room, this downpouring of ideas came to mind about why I valued the service I provide...and what led me to this line of work to begin with....from the time I'd first learned how to pray and practice how to live my spirituality, to the gazillions of healings I'd had.
Try to put a value on something that's changed your life.
I know. It might seem hard.
But you know, I stopped for a long while thinking in terms of a dollar amount.
I just sat there and gloried--gleefullly--in heartfelt appreciation for this service....all it's brought to me, my life, and to the many others I know I've helped in some way. And I thought about others who do what I do and how their work has blessed the lives of still countless others.
And once I grasped the 'why' behind why I value what it is that I've felt 'inspired' to devote my whole life's work to, well, the coolest thing happened: a rate that I hadn't thought of before came to mind.
I wrote it down....sifted it for a while....and sure enough, within no time I knew that would be what I'd charge as my fee.
End of story?
No, I can't leave it there. What I hope to offer is this: If you are in business for yourself...and you have any qualms about what you are charging, get behind the why you are charging that rate.
And really listen to your answer.
If what you are charging is not based on an inspired view of what service or product you are providing, you may want to rethink why you value your work...
Ask yourself:
What made me go into this business?
Why do I value doing what I do?
How has my work impacted others?
It doesn't matter if you're selling artwork out of an basement apartment/studio, or growing organic foods to sell out of your pick up truck later this month.
What's motivating you to charge what you do?
The more I am conscious about every decision I make, every ounce of thought I pour into my work, and the more I strive to ensure each decision is Spirit based, then there is no room for feeling conflicted. And I can have a sense of peace that the service I'm providing will be sought after by those valuing it for the same reasons I'm offering it.
So, in short, re-inspire yourself about the why you do what you do.....
and find a peace about it....
and see if your rate shifts a bit.
Maybe it will stay the same...maybe not.
But it won't be a static figure.
It will reflect the value you perceive your work/product/service to offer.
And a word about 'going rates'...
Those don't have to always be the indicator you're charging a fair price.
I'm not so certain 'the going rate' out there is always fair or honest or even what it ought to be for certain products/services.
So be bold with what you're charging.
You just may be the very nudge that transforms how the industry comes to value your product or service!
(even if you're offering a rate that's less than most! )
The key is this: VALUE....who you are, what you bring, what you provide....it is truly a unique gift....and as you know this and trust it, your work will be equally sought after and treasured by others...
And one more thing: have a total blast out there doing whatever it is that you do.
And if you're not feeling 'happy happy joy joy' all the time, GET THERE.
WE all need to feel giddy about what we do.....
The world needs our giddyness.
So find it, cultivate it...live it and have an absolute blast doing so!!!
I sure am. And it's quite fantabulous!
Til next time,
Tre ~~~
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