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Pricing & money
Raising your prices without losing your regulars
When to move, how much, and the four sentences to use when someone asks.
April 28, 2026 · 6 min read
The short version
- Notice beats explanation: tell people before the appointment, not at the till.
- Review prices on a schedule so it stops being an emotional decision.
- Raise the service you are best at first, not everything at once.
Prices in service businesses tend to sit still for years and then jump, which is the version clients notice most. A schedule fixes that.
A workable rhythm
- 01Review once a year, on a fixed datePut it in the calendar. Look at your costs, your waiting list and how full your week is.
- 02Start with your strongest serviceThe one people come specifically to you for. Leave the entry level service alone if it brings you new faces.
- 03Give three to four weeks of noticeOn the booking page, in confirmation messages and on a card at the desk.
- 04Honour existing bookings at the old priceIt costs you very little and it is the part people remember.
What to say
Prices go up on the first of next month. Anything already booked stays at the current price. Here is the new list.
No apology, no long justification. A short factual notice reads as confidence. A paragraph of explanation invites a negotiation.
If you are fully booked
A waiting list that never empties is the clearest signal there is. When you are turning work away every week, the price is doing less work than it should.
Sources
General information for business owners, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules vary by state and by trade.
