How I charge.

 

So, I thought I’d say a bit about how I charge.

Talking about money can be quite a tender thing. And, because it’s tender, sometimes it’s easy to fall into avoiding the conversation altogether. Or, if you have to talk about it, you might try to have the least vulnerable, least tender conversation you can.

But, it’s a shame if that happens. Because, I often find, the conversation about money can be one of the most valuable parts of the work. It’s a way of finding out what’s valuable to you. What matters and why. If you don’t have the conversation about the money, sometimes those things don’t get uncovered until much later.

To put some specifics to it - if you were to ring me now (November 2022) and ask me how much a one-to-one session costs, I’d say it’s £500 for a session, or something like £2000 for a full day. I have charged people a lot more - and a lot less - but those are my if-I-don’t-know-any-better prices. Quite often, though, when I say how much something costs I’ll add something along the lines of:

…but if that’s not a price that works for you, let’s have a chat and see what we can work out.

Sometimes that’s all that’s needed. Someone will write to me and say, actually, would it be OK if I paid this much instead. And sometimes it’s an easy yes. Other times it needs a proper conversation. And sometimes it’s just a no - because sometimes the price is just the price.

Sometimes you realise, oh, it’s not the price - it’s the timing. It might be something straightforward - like, can I pay you in a month’s time, or can I pay in instalments? But it can be unexpected. I remember one person having a hard time committing to a piece of work - until she realised it was because I’d suggested she pay in monthly instalments and really she wanted to pay the whole six months as a lump sum upfront.

And that’s why the conversation about money can be so valuable. Because it’s not just a chat - about the weather or whatever. It’s two people trying to find their way to a commitment. And that’s a demanding thing. Making a commitment means listening for all the little doubts or reservations we have and then finding our way through them.

So, when I say:

…but if that’s not a price that works for you, let’s have a chat and see what we can work out.

it’s an invitation. To find our way through together.

But, of course, I know that sometimes the only thing more daunting than a price that doesn’t work for you is the prospect of talking about why it doesn’t work for you.

So, here’s the deal.

I love talking about money. And, when someone wants to work with me, but the money is the bit that doesn’t work, then I love having that conversation. It’s a chance to learn about you, me and the work.

Of course, I also love the times where I say it’s this much and you say, yep, lovely. Or the times where you say I want to pay you this much and I say, yep, lovely. The effortlessness of happy coincidence. But, sometimes, it’s worth talking it out.

I might suggest we play the happy money story game. I might suggest you read 79 ways to pay for inspiration. Or I might just have a hunch about some creative alternative that will work instead and I’ll tell you that.

Two final things.

One. I love talking about money - but that doesn’t mean it’s not tender or vulnerable for me too. Sometimes it cuts through in all kinds of unexpected ways and all you can do is keep breathing, keep listening and hope you get to the bottom of it.

And - two - I’m sitting writing this at my kitchen table between two paintings that I received as part payment for a piece of work I did. They took four years to arrive after the work was completed and I think they might be two of my favourite possessions.

“Creating compassionate spaces in the financial realm feels like planting a seed in the desert.” - Aimee Fenech (describing her experience of the happy money story game)