The Mentor Chair · Money & pricing
The situation
The math may already support an increase, but the fear of losing people is making the decision for you.
From the mentor chair
You might.
And I think it's important to say that instead of pretending every client will happily stay through every price increase.
Some won't.
But losing a client doesn't automatically mean raising your prices was the wrong decision.
This is where I don't want you operating your business out of fear.
If your prices no longer support your time, expenses, experience or income goals, keeping them artificially low because you're afraid someone might leave isn't protecting your business.
It's keeping your business stuck.
The clients who respect you, trust you and value what you do are often much more willing to absorb a reasonable price increase than we give them credit for.
Think about what they're actually risking by leaving.
They already know you.
You know their hair.
You know their formulas, preferences, routines and history.
They know what they're going to get when they sit in your chair.
Saving a few dollars somewhere else isn't always worth risking a result they don't like.
And the clients who genuinely value that relationship?
Those are the clients you want to build around anyway.
Look at your numbers
Before fear decides for you, run the math.
If you currently see 60 clients a month at an average ticket of $100, you're producing $6,000 in service revenue.
A 10% increase makes that average ticket $110.
You wouldn't necessarily need all 60 clients to stay to maintain the same revenue.
That's the part stylists often don't calculate.
We think:
“What if I lose clients?”
Instead of asking:
“How many clients could I lose before I actually make less money?”
Those are two very different questions.
Try this
Don't start by asking:
“Will everyone stay?”
You can't know that.
Ask:
“Does this price make sense for my business, and what happens financially if some clients don't stay?”
Then look at the actual numbers.
If the math works even with some client loss, you're making a business decision with information instead of making one from fear.
Mentor note
You don't need every client.
You need the right clientele at pricing that supports the business you're trying to build.
That doesn't mean becoming cold, greedy or forgetting the people who helped build your book.
You can appreciate your longtime clients deeply and still run a sustainable business.
Both can be true.
Connected tool
Run the numbers → Raise My RatesMentor principle
Don't let fear decide your pricing. Let the numbers inform it.