Overworked, Underpaid - and Self-Employed?

You just need to ask yourself why.

Why am I either overworked or underpaid when I decide my hours AND I decide my prices?

I was going to call this post 'Positioning and Self-Punishment' or something, but it might have been misconstrued. Then again, if you're underpaying yourself and overworking too, it might not be too far from the truth whichever way you choose to read it.

I was chatting to a friend just yesterday. A friend who, thankfully, understands perfectly what I'm talking about. For the moment, though, she is overworked, having acquired loads of new clients recently, to whom I guess she feels obliged.

Still, when I suggested she double her prices, maybe halve her clientele and therefore earn just as much with only half the work, she didn't even flinch. In fact she nodded.

Excellent. I hope she does just that. Then she'll get a big chunk of her life back.

Hardly anyone actually buys on price. Those who do are more than outweighed by those who don't, and you may as well have an easier life as a tougher one. Unless you're into self-punishment, of course.

It takes all sorts...

Roy Everitt, Writing for Results

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