How to price your first service without guessing
Start from what an hour of your time must earn, add your costs, then check the three nearest competitors.
26 October 2026 · 4 min read
Most new businesses price too low, because they guess what customers will pay instead of working out what they need.
Start from your hour
Decide what one hour of your work must earn after costs. Then add the time people forget: travel, setting up, cleaning up and messages.
Check three competitors
Look up the three nearest businesses doing the same thing. Aim for the middle. Being the cheapest brings the customers who leave first.
Raise it when you are full
When your diary is full for three weeks running, raise the price for new customers. That is the clearest sign you were too low.