Aunty Fi's Advice Line: Pricing, positioning and charging what you’re worth (EP#85)

Auntie Fi’s advice line: Pricing, positioning and charging what you’re worth

~ Should I lower my prices to win the work or back myself from the beginning?

~ How do I move customers away from just talking about price, so I can explain how I'm different?

~ How do I add more premium hair services without losing my existing customers and revenue?

These are questions asked my real small business owners like you.

In this episode Fi opens up Auntie Fi’s advice line, answering questions recorded during the Q&A from her Make More Money Without Working Harder masterclass.  

From competing with businesses that charge less, to phasing out unprofitable services, finding the right price when you’re new in business and wondering whether to put your prices on your website, Fi answers the questions so many business owners wrestle with.

One business owner asks how to communicate her value when competitors are undercutting her on price. Fi’s advice is to stop trying to prove you’re better and start showing customers why you’re different. Your marketing should communicate the experience, process, service and value customers receive when they choose you.  

Another business owner is moving into a bigger salon and wants to replace less profitable kids’ haircuts with higher value services. Rather than cutting off an existing revenue stream overnight, Fi explains how to make the transition gradually by marketing premium services first and adjusting pricing as demand changes.  

Then there’s the question almost every new business owner has asked themselves: Should I charge less while I build my reputation? Fi explores when lower priced work can provide valuable experience and testimonials, while explaining why your own marketing is ultimately what helps you attract the right clients and charge more appropriate prices.  

Fi also tackles bespoke quoting, pricing your services publicly and that familiar temptation to knock a couple of thousand dollars off a proposal just to win the job. Her recommendation? Productise your services, create clear options and make it easier for potential customers to decide whether you’re right for them.  

Whether you’re questioning your prices, comparing yourself to cheaper competitors or trying to work out how to communicate why your business is worth paying more for, this episode is packed with practical advice you can apply to your own business.

🎧 Tune in for Auntie Fi’s advice on pricing, positioning, marketing and building a business where you don’t have to undervalue yourself to win the work.

 What you'll learn in this episode:

• Being cheaper isn’t the answer. Show customers what makes your business different through your marketing, process and customer experience.   
• You can transition away from less profitable services. Build demand for premium services before gradually changing your existing offer and pricing.  
• Lower priced work can still have value. Early clients can give you experience and testimonials, but start charging appropriately as soon as possible.  
• Premium prices require your own marketing. Get clear on your ideal customer, where to find them and the outcome you create for them.  
• Your gut isn’t always telling you to say no. Sometimes discomfort around spending money is anxiety about doing something unfamiliar.  
• Bespoke quoting can make business harder. Productising your services into clear options can simplify selling for you and buying for your customers.  
• Putting prices on your website can improve your leads. You may get fewer discovery calls, but the people booking already know what to expect.  
• Your story can justify a premium position. Handmade, small batch or highly considered work gives customers meaningful reasons to choose your product.  
• Don’t discount yourself just to win the work. Build an offer and price that reflects the service you actually want to deliver.

💡 If this conversation resonates and you want hands-on support, you can work with Fi one-on-one or join Good Money Club, where small business owners learn how to make and manage money with clarity, confidence, and impact.

- Good Money Club (doors are open now)

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Say hi: hello@peachbm.com.au 

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In this podcast, Money Secrets, host Fiona (Fi) Johnston, Chartered Accountant, small business advocate, and impact enthusiast, dives into the conversations we need to have about money. The secrets that once stayed behind closed doors (or on the golf course) are finally out in the open.

Fi’s mission? To get more money into the hands of good people, like you. She believes small businesses can change the world, but only if we're making money and managing it well.

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Thank you to everyone involved for bringing this podcast together. We are excited to hear from you with any questions, feedback or suggestions for future episodes that you might have. Send a Direct Message to @peach.business

If you are excited for what’s to come, please like this episode, follow the podcast and share it with your friends. We are thrilled you're here.

Check out my FREE Pricing Training you need to set your prices for profitability.

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This podcast episode was recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation and I'd like to acknowledge them as the Traditional Owners and custodians of this land and water that I live, work and play on. I'd like to pay respect to elders both past and present, and note that sovereignty has never been ceded. This always was and always will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land.