How do I know what to charge if I'm just starting out?

Start from what one hour of your work actually costs you (fixed costs plus the hours you work but never bill), add the margin you want, then compare it with the value the client gets. Competitors are a final sanity check, not your starting point.

If I raise prices, how many clients will I lose?

Fewer than you think. If you raise prices by 20%, you only need to keep 83% of your clients to bring in the same revenue. Everything above that is extra income for less work.

How do I tell existing clients about a price increase?

Give notice early and explain what they get, rather than justifying the cost. Anchor it to value and quality, give a clear date, and offer long-standing clients favourable terms during the transition.

How to set the right price for your services

It is the question that stops everyone: what do I charge? Most people answer it by looking at what everyone else charges and shaving a bit off. That is the fastest way to work a lot and earn little.

The wrong way: starting from the competition

A competitor's price reflects theircosts, their clients and their position — not yours. Copying it (and discounting to «break into the market») traps you: you attract the people shopping on price, and those are the first to leave the moment someone cheaper shows up.

Start from what one hour of your work really costs

Before you decide what you are worth on the market, you need to know what an hour costs you. Count in:

your monthly fixed costs (rent, tools, software, vehicles, and what you set aside for taxes and social contributions wherever you operate);
the hours you don't bill but genuinely work (quotes, travel, admin, chasing new clients);
the margin you decide to take, not the leftovers at the end of the month.

Only by dividing your costs by the hours you really bill do you find your floor: below that number you are losing money, even when it feels like you are earning. In practice, your price floor comes out of your break-even point.

The minimum price is not the right price

Break-even (the point where you stop losing money) is the floor, not the goal. The right price sits higher: it depends on the resultyou deliver, not the time you spend. A quote you put together in half an hour that saves the client €5,000 is worth its price — not «half an hour of work».

How to raise prices without losing clients

Here is the number that changes everything. When you raise your price, you can afford to lose some clients and still bring in the same money. An example:

You raise your price by 20% (from €100 to €120).
You only need to keep 83% of your clients to make the same revenue (100 ÷ 120 = 0.83).
Every client you keep above that 83% is extra income — with less work and more time for your best clients.

In plain terms: if raising prices loses you the most difficult and least profitable clients, you often win twice.

How to announce the increase

Give notice early, with a precise date.
Talk about what they get, not what it costs.
Offer long-standing clients favourable terms for the switch.

If you want, Vanteo works out these numbers (hourly cost, break-even, how many clients you can afford to lose) from your real figures, and tells you the price to aim for. See also: how to write a quote clients say yes to.