The Question Is - To Charge or Not To Charge

My job is to be thought-provoking, uplifting and yet at the same time realistic. This is what I aim to do in this short piece and I will also be as sensitive as I can.

We are undoubtedly living through the most challenging of times on many different levels and for diverse reasons. It’s as if the collective rug has been pulled clean from underneath us and we are floundering around wondering what on earth hit us.

We are in shock and grief at the loss of so many things – clients, money and our very freedom. Uncertainty is the name of the game and as human beings, we do not like too much uncertainty.

It’s important to understand what is happening and, at the same time, know that the ‘mood’ could change from day to day as we move through this. One word of caution though, don’t make assumptions about what is going on for others.

From a commercial perspective, there are those businesses which continue to be busy and are charging normally for their services, while others have seen their work dry up and are offering to help their clients, without charging at all.

For me, it’s also challenging as I help businesses to be able to value themselves and charge what they are worth, which, as you can imagine right now, is a very sensitive subject for many. Some of my target market are even busier than usual and are just keeping their heads down, while others are fire-fighting and their focus is on survival.

Having said all that, whichever camp you fit in right now, charging or not charging that is, there will come a time, when at least a semblance of normality returns and you will need to be prepared for how you are going to move forward.

If you are not currently charging, you may find yourself losing confidence and therefore it will be more challenging to get back to what you were charging previously. Be aware of this and you can begin to work on that now.

In addition, if you are what I call a heart-led person, then the chances are that, even prior to the COVID-19 fiasco, you did not value yourself sufficiently, to be able to charge your true worth.

Now is therefore the perfect time to review how you have been operating in your business and from my perspective how you have been charging. You have time for reflection; becoming more self-aware will put you in a stronger position to move forward in the right way, when the time comes.

My teaching is all about balance. I enable business owners to balance creating value for its clients with creating value for the business and taking care of the individual or individuals within the business.

This puts them in a much better position, not just from a financial perspective but from an emotional one too.

And it all starts with valuing you.

I’m Vanessa Ugatti, author of Amazon Best Seller, True Worth: How to Charge What You’re Worth and Get It. I help accountants, lawyers and consultants to generate more income, have more time and create more freedom without having to get more clients, do more work or compromise value or values.

Ready to talk?

For an initial no-obligation chat, call 00-44-1202-743961 or to order your complimentary copy of Amazon Best Seller click here

1)   Plan your Christmas tasks so you have plenty of time and stick to them. It reminds me of that old age: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

2)   Have a budget for what you’re spending on gifts, food, etc. and stick to it. What’s the point of over-spending if it means you spending the next 3 months catching up?

3)   Programme in short bursts of “you time” so you can rest and recuperate. This is critical and, paradoxically, the busier you are, the more important it is for you to do this. When working with clients, I see the tendency to move from one task to another, like an automaton, and without giving themselves the time to think, acknowledge wins or rest.

4)   Keep a positive mental attitude. Not much more to say on this one, except that it will be easier to achieve if you apply points 1-3 and 5-8.

5)   Don’t take it all too seriously!

6)   When buying gifts, it’s not how much you spend, it’s how much thought goes   into them and how you feel when you buy them that counts. If you’re feeling stressed and buy something expensive in a rush, then the receiver is receiving your stress. On the other hand, if you buy gifts when you’re feeling relaxed and happy, then the recipients will receive that energy.

Which do you think they will prefer?

7)   When you notice the stress creeping in, stop, take a deep breath and feel grateful for everything and everyone in your life. This only takes a few minutes to do and yet the benefit can be proportionally much greater.

8)   If you have lost loved ones, it’s normal to feel sad that they’re no longer with you. I can personally relate to that one! Then you can flip it around and be grateful that they were a part of your life. Then focus on what you’re grateful for now. You may not always choose the circumstances in which you find yourself, however, you are always at liberty to choose what you think about them. Understanding and realising that is true power.

9)   If all else fails, just get drunk! 
When all the jobs are done, you can just relax and enjoy yourself. Then when you’re ready, reflect on the wins, challenges and insights that 2017 brought you and prepare for the coming year.
Thank you for reading and for your comments and I look forward to sharing more with you in 2018.
It only remains for me to wish you the happiest Christmas and a very prosperous 2018.