[DeLuce]

I increase prices every other year without fail.  Doesn't have to be much, but it has to be something, even if it's only 50p.

That way you don't end up with having to impose large rises on customers.

that's really interesting pete. I;ve just put them up by 80 p each, wth the aim to have regular small price rises every 3 years.


why 80p and not a quid?

That's exactly what I was thinking! If I'm going to put the price up then a £1 is the starting point. It would drive me nuts having to carry loads of 20p for a start 

[Richard iSparkle]

I increase prices every other year without fail.  Doesn't have to be much, but it has to be something, even if it's only 50p.

That way you don't end up with having to impose large rises on customers.

that's really interesting pete. I;ve just put them up by 80 p each, wth the aim to have regular small price rises every 3 years.


why 80p and not a quid?

That's exactly what I was thinking! If I'm going to put the price up then a £1 is the starting point. It would drive me nuts having to carry loads of 20p for a start 

every pays by DD so not a problem... but yeh.. i can see what youre saying

[Richard iSparkle]

Update..

Firstly thanks for your support on here    It definitely  makes a difference

Price rise has all gone through. All customers it applied to sent a letter and direct debits increased with a bulk update.

Our number of cancellations this month has been no different from usual, and none related to the price rise.

We had 2 customers who said they would cancel if we put the price up, but when i spoke to them I agreed to keep their prices the same. They are both pensioners and both good customers.

One more customer queried the price rise, she thought we had put her price up last year (we hadn't) and I talked her through what we had done.

So thats a massive relief for me. The rise pays for my wage increases over the past couple of years, and it also gives me more confidence in the longevity of this business. It is so easy to worry what will happen if you put up your prices, but in this instance, all that has happened is i feel happier, and my bank balance is more healthy..

I have diarised another price rise for 36 months time

[Arnold Palmer]

I've been at this a while so I've been through loads of price increases. Never had any issues really until last year. The economy here is on the way down - big style. Of course the downturn didn't happen until just after I put the prices up. A year later and the arse clenching amount of customers I lost are now all replaced.

Indecently I didn't start to lose any until the following month, I'm sure that won't happen to you though....

[8weekly]

Update..

Firstly thanks for your support on here    It definitely  makes a difference

Price rise has all gone through. All customers it applied to sent a letter and direct debits increased with a bulk update.

Our number of cancellations this month has been no different from usual, and none related to the price rise.

We had 2 customers who said they would cancel if we put the price up, but when i spoke to them I agreed to keep their prices the same. They are both pensioners and both good customers.

One more customer queried the price rise, she thought we had put her price up last year (we hadn't) and I talked her through what we had done.

So thats a massive relief for me. The rise pays for my wage increases over the past couple of years, and it also gives me more confidence in the longevity of this business. It is so easy to worry what will happen if you put up your prices, but in this instance, all that has happened is i feel happier, and my bank balance is more healthy..

I have diarised another price rise for 36 months time

Not wishing to "rain on your parade", but you may yet lose a few. You will get a few when they get their new bill say they never received/saw the letter. You will get a few that cancel a few weeks down the line when you upset them about any little thing - for example not getting an impossible to clean velux absolutely perfect. It's still important to increase prices though and overall it will be very worthwhile.

[Richard iSparkle]

Update..

Firstly thanks for your support on here    It definitely  makes a difference

Price rise has all gone through. All customers it applied to sent a letter and direct debits increased with a bulk update.

Our number of cancellations this month has been no different from usual, and none related to the price rise.

We had 2 customers who said they would cancel if we put the price up, but when i spoke to them I agreed to keep their prices the same. They are both pensioners and both good customers.

One more customer queried the price rise, she thought we had put her price up last year (we hadn't) and I talked her through what we had done.

So thats a massive relief for me. The rise pays for my wage increases over the past couple of years, and it also gives me more confidence in the longevity of this business. It is so easy to worry what will happen if you put up your prices, but in this instance, all that has happened is i feel happier, and my bank balance is more healthy..

I have diarised another price rise for 36 months time

Not wishing to "rain on your parade", but you may yet lose a few. You will get a few when they get their new bill say they never received/saw the letter. You will get a few that cancel a few weeks down the line when you upset them about any little thing - for example not getting an impossible to clean velux absolutely perfect. It's still important to increase prices though and overall it will be very worthwhile.

true.

i know i'm not out of the woods yet, but i did send everyone a hand addressed letter so i think that the most people who had a problem with it would have got in touch within a couple of weeks of that, and some more when they got an email saying their DD was going up...

fingers crossed still

[Richard iSparkle]

I've been at this a while so I've been through loads of price increases. Never had any issues really until last year. The economy here is on the way down - big style. Of course the downturn didn't happen until just after I put the prices up. A year later and the arse clenching amount of customers I lost are now all replaced.

Indecently I didn't start to lose any until the following month, I'm sure that won't happen to you though....

I'm sorry to hear about the economy in your area.

i'll give another update next month then

[Dave Willis]

Update..

Firstly thanks for your support on here    It definitely  makes a difference

Price rise has all gone through. All customers it applied to sent a letter and direct debits increased with a bulk update.

Our number of cancellations this month has been no different from usual, and none related to the price rise.

We had 2 customers who said they would cancel if we put the price up, but when i spoke to them I agreed to keep their prices the same. They are both pensioners and both good customers.

One more customer queried the price rise, she thought we had put her price up last year (we hadn't) and I talked her through what we had done.

So thats a massive relief for me. The rise pays for my wage increases over the past couple of years, and it also gives me more confidence in the longevity of this business. It is so easy to worry what will happen if you put up your prices, but in this instance, all that has happened is i feel happier, and my bank balance is more healthy..

I have diarised another price rise for 36 months time

Have you made enough to pay for your business coach?

[Richard iSparkle]

Update..

Firstly thanks for your support on here    It definitely  makes a difference

Price rise has all gone through. All customers it applied to sent a letter and direct debits increased with a bulk update.

Our number of cancellations this month has been no different from usual, and none related to the price rise.

We had 2 customers who said they would cancel if we put the price up, but when i spoke to them I agreed to keep their prices the same. They are both pensioners and both good customers.

One more customer queried the price rise, she thought we had put her price up last year (we hadn't) and I talked her through what we had done.

So thats a massive relief for me. The rise pays for my wage increases over the past couple of years, and it also gives me more confidence in the longevity of this business. It is so easy to worry what will happen if you put up your prices, but in this instance, all that has happened is i feel happier, and my bank balance is more healthy..

I have diarised another price rise for 36 months time

Have you made enough to pay for your business coach?

ha! good question... and yes is the answer. I am well up on that investment.

i'm still seeing him, though less frequently at the moment.

I've had a couple of coaches in my time and it's always paid off many many times over. I'd recommend it to anybody

[Dave Willis]

Oh Lord 

[TomSE]

Richard just out of interest what is the alternative company you use as opposed to GoCardless that you mentioned for taking payments?

Also, on the business coach topic, what would you typically discuss & how has it helped you? Do you think it has helped more than just posting your questions you'd ask him on here? I am just curious as I don't see the point myself however each to there own and if he's genuinely helped your business then fair enough.

I would have rounded up to £1 for the price increases as well.  I just up prices as and when they need uping as I go round whenever during the year, that way if you do lose some it is steadily spaced out too.  Although I do like the idea of one big price increase across the board.

The majority won't bat an eyelid and some will have been expecting a price increase especially those you've done for a few years. Everybody loses a few so I wouldn't worry about the odd one you'll still be better off, good luck with it hope it goes well.

Tom

[Richard iSparkle]

Richard just out of interest what is the alternative company you use as opposed to GoCardless that you mentioned for taking payments?

Also, on the business coach topic, what would you typically discuss & how has it helped you? Do you think it has helped more than just posting your questions you'd ask him on here? I am just curious as I don't see the point myself however each to there own and if he's genuinely helped your business then fair enough.

I would have rounded up to £1 for the price increases as well.  I just up prices as and when they need uping as I go round whenever during the year, that way if you do lose some it is steadily spaced out too.  Although I do like the idea of one big price increase across the board.

The majority won't bat an eyelid and some will have been expecting a price increase especially those you've done for a few years. Everybody loses a few so I wouldn't worry about the odd one you'll still be better off, good luck with it hope it goes well.

Tom

Hi Tom,

I use smartdebit. considerably more expensive than gocardless but i can sign people up over the phone.

the basic idea is you get a business coach to help you work at your potential. like you might get a personal trainer to help you loose weight and get fit, or a footballer has a coach.

business coaches are different from speaking to other window cleaners. he's not a window cleaner or anything similar, so he doesn't know the stiff i know about how to run a window cleaning business. his role is to help me to set and achieve my goals. so for instance there are all things in our own businesses that we find easy to do, and some we find harder to do. my coach helps me develop myself and my business and helps me to get around, or through blocks in my thinking. so for instance he's done a lot of work wth me relating to my bookkeeping, payment methods offered etc etc. it has been something of a problem for me for a number of years, where i was stuck worrying about what would happen if i changed my book keeping, got VAT registered, insisted all my customers pay me by DD, put up prices etc etc. they were all linked together in my head (e.g. if i went VAT registered i need to put up prices, if people pay me by Standing Order i can't put up their prices so i need to change them to DD, if i change them to DD they may refuse and cancel therefore making it unaffordable to put go VAT registered.. etc etc). my coach has helped me clarify my thoughts on it, helped me understand what i need to do and what order to approach it in, and has helped me understand and process the emotions (anxiety and  worry) i had around the whole lot that was stopping me do it.

that's all stuff you aint really going to get on clean it up! you get plenty of advice one equipment, some ideas on marketing, some useful ideas on specialist stuff, and some support from other chaps on here too. all stuff i don't get off my coach (except of course support!)

i have really good support off julie and carl at concept2o regarding specialist industry business advice, and of course here too.

i put up prices by 88p because that was what Julie recommended. if she hadn't said that i would have gone for £1 too!

[Arnold Palmer]

I had a business mentor which I got for free from the business gateway for 1 year. It's basically the same idea. He was great, he didn't really teach me anything as such, more like adjusted my approach to running my business. I took him on thinking that where I was lacking and needed improvement was on the employment side of my business, through speaking to him it quickly became apparent that I am in fact pretty good at employing people and I was actually lacking in other areas that I hadn't thought about.

I don't think I'd pay for a business coach but if there is a government funded mentor near you I'd definitely recommend it. Sometimes it's a good idea to get an outsiders view from someone cleverer than you.

[Richard iSparkle]

I had a business mentor which I got for free from the business gateway for 1 year. It's basically the same idea. He was great, he didn't really teach me anything as such, more like adjusted my approach to running my business. I took him on thinking that where I was lacking and needed improvement was on the employment side of my business, through speaking to him it quickly became apparent that I am in fact pretty good at employing people and I was actually lacking in other areas that I hadn't thought about.

I don't think I'd pay for a business coach but if there is a government funded mentor near you I'd definitely recommend it.

yes, i got a free business mentor at startup too, and they were pretty good.

the chap i'm seeing now is brilliant so he' well worth the £70 a session i pay him for me.

the chap i'm seeing now is qualified as a coach, and has hypnotherapy experience, life coaching qualifications, and that sort of thing. he suits my current needs very well.

it's not for everyone, for sure, but it's very normal in the business world. apparently most CEOs and MDs have a business coach nowadays. there was a program on radio 4's  'the bottom line' about it. Evan Davies was interviewing executives who use coaches and they were talking through what they get from it.

[NWH]

Customers very rarely tell you the real reason why they cancel some think it's money for old rope I'm not paying that now he's not going up a ladder the list is endless,I think TBH you put your prices up fine but with every job you increase you risk losing it some people it just gives them the excuse to cancel you. I increase my prices about every 3 years or so more or less across the board at varying times if I happen to come across a job I do that's below what I want I speak to them and explain why if I want to keep the job,I can remember doing jobs years ago that were half what they should have been hardly anyone got rid of me. I find WCs that increase every year or so are pushing there luck on average sized domestics commercial jobs almost expect it.

[johnwillan]

i was stuck worrying about what would happen if i changed my book keeping, got VAT registered, insisted all my customers pay me by DD, put up prices etc etc. they were all linked together in my head (e.g. if i went VAT registered i need to put up prices, if people pay me by Standing Order i can't put up their prices so i need to change them to DD, if i change them to DD they may refuse and cancel therefore making it unaffordable to put go VAT registered.. etc etc).

Hi Richard

Pleased to hear all is going well.

One thing I've learn't along the way is not to worry about the "what if's" just deal with the "hear and now". Yes you need a considered approach before taking action but "what if" often leads to no action at all.

HTH

John

Ps. I increase rates based on inflation, Aworka has a superb function that enables you to round up or down to the nearest "X", some clients are not affected as the increase does not fulfil the requirement but it is recorded/remembered for next time therefore enacting the increase (it makes sense when you use it LOL!) 

[Richard iSparkle]

i was stuck worrying about what would happen if i changed my book keeping, got VAT registered, insisted all my customers pay me by DD, put up prices etc etc. they were all linked together in my head (e.g. if i went VAT registered i need to put up prices, if people pay me by Standing Order i can't put up their prices so i need to change them to DD, if i change them to DD they may refuse and cancel therefore making it unaffordable to put go VAT registered.. etc etc).

Hi Richard

Pleased to hear all is going well.

One thing I've learn't along the way is not to worry about the "what if's" just deal with the "hear and now". Yes you need a considered approach before taking action but "what if" often leads to no action at all.

HTH

John

Ps. I increase rates based on inflation, Aworka has a superb function that enables you to round up or down to the nearest "X", some clients are not affected as the increase does not fulfil the requirement but it is recorded/remembered for next time therefore enacting the increase (it makes sense when you use it LOL!)

Thanks John,

You're quite right.. I do spend time worrying about what might happen if.. and you're right its better not to worry about what might or might not ever happen... the trick is changing that behaviour isn't it..

i'm getting better at it though.. i'm learning to focus on the here and now rather than the what ifs...

interesting to hear you say commercial clients almost expect annual price rises. would they just be the rate of inflation?

[8weekly]

Ps. I increase rates based on inflation, Aworka has a superb function that enables you to round up or down to the nearest "X", some clients are not affected as the increase does not fulfil the requirement but it is recorded/remembered for next time therefore enacting the increase (it makes sense when you use it LOL!)

How do you access this function?

[NWH]

It's not about inflation it's about knowing your customers,you need to use your brain when increasing prices you should know the ones that'll take it and the ones that won't. Just because it's due a rise don't mean they'll pay it and a bit of software can tell you what it likes it can't read people's budgets.

[johnwillan]

interesting to hear you say commercial clients almost expect annual price rises. would they just be the rate of inflation?

Not sure that's my quote as I'm mainly residential. As stated I generally increase prices in line with inflation.