Why Small Business Owners Undercharge-And How to Fix Your Pricing

Why Small Business Owners Undercharge-And How to Fix Your Pricing

Most small business owners don't undercharge because they don't know their numbers. They undercharge because pricing is emotional — tangled up in fear, comparison to competitors, and the belief that "affordable" is a strategy. It isn't. This episode breaks down why small business owners hesitate to charge what their work is worth, how pricing psychology works in your favor when you understand it, and the three frameworks (cost-plus, value-based, and capacity-based) that strip emotion out of the decision. We also cover how to raise prices on existing clients without losing them. Apple's pricing revolution is the anchor story — how Steve Jobs returned to a struggling company and made products more expensive, not cheaper, and built a brand that made premium pricing feel obvious. If every client says yes immediately, you're underpriced. This episode helps small business owners fix that. Key Topics: * Pricing communicates value; low prices may imply low value. * Restructured pricing changes perception, not just numbers. * Align pricing with customer behavior, not tradition. * Consistency in pricing builds trust and credibility. * Emotional benefits can justify premium pricing. * Market value should guide pricing, but not dictate it. * Confidence in pricing is crucial for business owners. * Tiered pricing can make changes more consumable. * Testing pricing in the market provides valuable feedback. * Pricing should reflect both costs and perceived value. ************************ Our podcast is originally a video podcast, so see us on YouTube or Spotify too. ************************ Got questions or have a topic you want Sevana to cover? Email at thebusinessbehindsmallbusiness@gmail.com and see your question answers or topic of interest discussed on a future episode! ****************************  New episodes publish every 1st and 15th. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Mind the business behind your business. Proudly sponsored by the Old Town Fairfax Business Association.  Website - Check out our website!  https://www.thebusinessbehindsmallbusiness.com Notice - As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. These earnings contribute towards the costs of creating this podcast and we greatly appreciate your support! Disclaimer - Details of today’s story was inspired by true events but are not based on proven facts. Also, we are NOT licensed financial experts, nor do we give financial advice. Anything we share with you here on our podcast, whether it be a personal experience or submission, or advice/tips that have worked for us, or that we believe would work for you should not be viewed as either financial, business, or tax advice. We ask for you to do your research, have open and honest conversations with your company’s own support providers and make decisions based upon that. Throughout this broadcast we will share our knowledge and give suggestions and hope you will receive them as part of your overall research to better your own company. #SmallBusiness #PricingStrategy #SmallBusinessTips #ValueBasedPricing #Entrepreneur #BusinessGrowth #PricingPsychology #SmallBusinessOwner #HowToRaisePrices #BusinessTips Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1551583/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1551583/support]

Rebranding Your Small Business: How to Know When It's Time and How to Do It Right

88. Rebranding is one of the most misunderstood moves a small business can make. Done right, it opens new markets, resets a damaged reputation, or realigns a business with where it's actually going. Done wrong — or done for the wrong reasons — it confuses existing clients and wastes money you don't have. This episode covers the real reasons small businesses should consider rebranding (and the wrong ones that trap owners into expensive pivots), the timing signals that tell you the moment is right, and how to execute a rebrand without alienating your current audience in the process. The anchor story is Pepsi-Cola — how Caleb Bradham turned "Brad's Drink" into one of the most recognized beverages in the world through a name change and intentional repositioning. Same product. Different story. Completely different trajectory. If you've been wondering whether your brand still fits where your small business is going, this episode gives you the framework to decide. ************************ Our podcast is originally a video podcast, so see us on YouTube or Spotify too. ************************ Got questions or have a topic you want Sevana and Tiffany to cover? Email us at thebusinessbehindsmallbusiness@gmail.com and see your question answers or topic of interest discussed on a future episode! ****************************   | New episodes publish every 1st and 15th. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Mind the business behind your business. Proudly sponsored by the Old Town Fairfax Business Association.   Sponsorship Opportunities - Email us here: thebusinessbehindsmallbusiness@gmail.com Website - Check out our website! https://www.thebusinessbehindsmallbusiness.com  Notice - As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. These earnings contribute towards the costs of creating this podcast and we greatly appreciate your support!  Disclaimer - Details of today’s story was inspired by true events but are not based on proven facts. Also, we are NOT licensed financial experts, nor do we give financial advice. Anything we share with you here on our podcast, whether it be a personal experience or submission, or advice/tips that have worked for us, or that we believe would work for you should not be viewed as either financial, business, or tax advice. We ask for you to do your research, have open and honest conversations with your company’s own support providers and make decisions based upon that. Throughout this broadcast we will share our knowledge and give suggestions and hope you will receive them as part of your overall research to better your own company. #SmallBusiness #Rebranding #SmallBusinessMarketing #BrandIdentity #SmallBusinessOwner #BusinessStrategy #BrandRefresh #Entrepreneur #SmallBiz #MarketingTips Alternative Titles: Marketing and Business Business Brand Building Building Your Brand Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1551583/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1551583/support]

How to Create Service Packages for Your Small Business (And Stop Quoting One-Offs)

87. Most service-based small businesses quote work one project at a time — and that model quietly limits both income and client retention. Packaging your services changes the dynamic: it makes your pricing predictable, your value clearer, and your client decisions easier. This episode walks through the complete process of building service packages for a small business: how to identify your core services, group them into tiers that make sense for different client budgets, price them in a way that protects your margins, and name and describe them so clients can actually understand what they're buying. If you've been stuck in the hourly billing trap or losing proposals because your pricing feels inconsistent, this episode gives small business owners a step-by-step framework for packaging services in a way that works  ************************Our podcast is originally a video podcast, so see us on YouTube or Spotify too. ************************Got questions or have a topic you want Sevana and Tiffany to cover? Email us at thebusinessbehindsmallbusiness@gmail.com and see your question answers or topic of interest discussed on a future episode! **************************** New episodes publish every 1st and 15th. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Mind the business behind your business. Proudly sponsored by the Old Town Fairfax Business Association.   Notice - As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. These earnings contribute towards the costs of creating this podcast and we greatly appreciate your support! Disclaimer - Details of today’s story was inspired by true events but are not based on proven facts. Also, we are NOT licensed financial experts, nor do we give financial advice. Anything we share with you here on our podcast, whether it be a personal experience or submission, or advice/tips that have worked for us, or that we believe would work for you should not be viewed as either financial, business, or tax advice. We ask for you to do your research, have open and honest conversations with your company’s own support providers and make decisions based upon that. Throughout this broadcast we will share our knowledge and give suggestions and hope you will receive them as part of your overall research to better your own company. #SmallBusiness #ServicePackages #ServiceBusiness #SmallBusinessOwner #Entrepreneur #PackageYourServices #HowToPrice #SmallBiz #BusinessTips #ValueBasedPricing Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1551583/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1551583/support]

The Everything Business Episode

86. How does the demise of DEI affect small business? What to do if you are a government contractor in 2025? How to know what profit margins should you have? How much does your payroll really cost you? Today, Sevana and Tiffany talk a little bit of everything in business. ************************ Our podcast is originally a video podcast, so see us on YouTube or Spotify too. ************************ Got questions or have a topic you want Sevana and Tiffany to cover? Email us at thebusinessbehindsmallbusiness@gmail.com and see your question answers or topic of interest discussed on a future episode! ****************************  About BBSB - We are two business owners with two very different perspectives on building business, and the business behind that in order to achieve your goals. One of us built to sell, and will continue on the serial entrepreneur path, which means your focus and drive should include very particular tools and tips in order to achieve your goal. The other, is building a generational business, one that can go on long after she’s let go of the wheel. This type of business also requires very specific tools and platforms to achieve this goal. Both women have been successful in their own right, but in honesty - haven’t scratched the surface!  Sponsorship Opportunities - Email us here: thebusinessbehindsmallbusiness@gmail.com Website - Check out our website! https://www.thebusinessbehindsmallbusiness.com  Notice - As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. These earnings contribute towards the costs of creating this podcast and we greatly appreciate your support!  Disclaimer - Details of today’s story was inspired by true events but are not based on proven facts. Also, we are NOT licensed financial experts, nor do we give financial advice. Anything we share with you here on our podcast, whether it be a personal experience or submission, or advice/tips that have worked for us, or that we believe would work for you should not be viewed as either financial, business, or tax advice. We ask for you to do your research, have open and honest conversations with your company’s own support providers and make decisions based upon that. Throughout this broadcast we will share our knowledge and give suggestions and hope you will receive them as part of your overall research to better your own company. #smallbusinessadvice #entrepreneurship #referralpartners #businesspodcast #businessreferrals #howtogrowabusiness Alternative Titles: * Is DEI dead? * Messy Affairs of Government Contracting * Know Your Profit Margins Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1551583/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1551583/support]

Tariffs and Your Small Business: What the New Trade Policy Actually Means for You

85.Tariffs aren't just a policy debate — for small business owners who import materials, source from overseas suppliers, or compete with imported goods, they're a direct hit to your cost structure and your margins. This episode covers what the current tariff landscape actually means for small business owners in practical terms: how upstream cost increases travel downstream to your prices, how to evaluate your exposure, and the steps small businesses can take to protect their margins when trade policy shifts. We recorded this episode just before inauguration and the tariff landscape moved faster than anyone expected — which is exactly why small business owners need a framework for navigating policy uncertainty, not just the current rules. If you run a small business that sources anything from outside the U.S. — or competes with businesses that do — this episode gives you the map. ************************ Our podcast is originally a video podcast, so see us on YouTube or Spotify too. ************************ Got questions or have a topic you want Sevana and Tiffany to cover? Email us at thebusinessbehindsmallbusiness@gmail.com and see your question answers or topic of interest discussed on a future episode! ****************************  New episodes publish every 1st and 15th. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Mind the business behind your business. Proudly sponsored by the Old Town Fairfax Business Association.  Sponsorship Opportunities - Email us here: thebusinessbehindsmallbusiness@gmail.com Website - Check out our website! https://www.thebusinessbehindsmallbusiness.com  Notice - As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. These earnings contribute towards the costs of creating this podcast and we greatly appreciate your support!  Disclaimer - Details of today’s story was inspired by true events but are not based on proven facts. Also, we are NOT licensed financial experts, nor do we give financial advice. Anything we share with you here on our podcast, whether it be a personal experience or submission, or advice/tips that have worked for us, or that we believe would work for you should not be viewed as either financial, business, or tax advice. We ask for you to do your research, have open and honest conversations with your company’s own support providers and make decisions based upon that. Throughout this broadcast we will share our knowledge and give suggestions and hope you will receive them as part of your overall research to better your own company. #SmallBusiness #Tariffs #TradePolicy #SmallBusinessOwner #SupplyChain #BusinessStrategy #Entrepreneur #SmallBiz #ImportExport #EconomicPolicy Reference/Resources Used In this Episode: ⁠ [https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-new-paradigm/202406/on-the-power-and-roles-of-men-and-women]Brookings [https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-consequences-of-trumps-tariff-threats/] POLITICO [https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/12/lighthizer-trump-new-tariff-plan-00189114] Alternative Titles: * Trump's New Tariffs * Import Export and Small Business * Tariffs on Mexico, China, and Canada Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1551583/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1551583/support]