Why you should stop charging an hourly rate

If you’ve ever been self-employed in the healing arts or another creative health pursuit then you’ll probably agree that one of the biggest hurdles is knowing not what to charge, but how – and when. The path of the freelance health and wellness consultant is paved with good intentions, manifestation and hope, however, hope does not pay the bills. If you are still surviving on a pray-and-pay existence in your wellness or food service business, it’s time to now look beyond scarcity and survival and leap into the welcome realm of pure abundance and develop a true understanding of how to hold your value.

Negotiate with yourself so you no longer negotiate with your clients. Time and time again I see my virtual self kicking the real me under the desk each time I say “we tailor-make to suit your budget”. Er, no ‘we’ don’t Samantha, but for fear of missing out on the deal this option no longer serves my business model. So I like to chew on it this way: Imagine of you walked into a cafe and the staff said we will cater to your budget, as opposed to handing you a – hopefully spotless – a la carte menu to choose from?

While I am all for the surprise of a banquet or degustation, if you give your potential customers too much choice or the chance to name their price, chances are they will be so overwhelmed they will fumble for a sweet spot and lose interest. I see this time and time again in Bali for example, where tourists are not used to haggling and they just want to ‘buy the damn thing’. Sure, haggle if your offer has a few options such as a deluxe, standard or mate’s rate, but if you’re a one stop shop – then don’t.

Ask yourself: Are you are meeting your clients’ needs before you meet your own needs? Do you consider what the client can afford to pay more than what you need to earn?

If the answer is ‘yes’, then we need to talk. We often put clients first, particularly in the healing professions. I have mentored so many health practitioners who struggle to make ends meet yet will go beyond the call for their clients, often working back late at night, over-servicing a therapeutic strategy and/or providing more than is required during the review appointment. Coupled with the burden of charging an hourly rate and not a value-rich package, this method is usually fraught with frustration – and ultimately resentment.

Letting go of the hourly rate structure brings about an opportunity to focus on the project as a whole and not incremental parts, which in my experience leads to less productivity as a consultant as constant clock-watching and cramming tasks into set hours can result in taking more time to do the actual work.

Charging a set price for a service or consulting product with strict trading terms allows you to budget, forecast and work flexible and unconventional hours. You also have the benefit of not having to time-track every call, email and thought process. Finding a clientele who fits your structure is the solution to meeting your business’ needs and not over-stretching to fit theirs. After all it’s your consulting business and if you offer wellness business solutions like I do, you’re not hostage to conventional business hours. This is very handy when travelling and working in different time zones.

When you take responsibility and ownership of what holds you back I guarantee that you will soon find your flow. For me, I use a mantra which starts like this: “I am in the process of creating abundance on every level in my life”. Manifestation is the key to success and we need to raise our vibrational financial energy just as we do our spiritual state.

What is the most important asset any business owner has?

Freedom.  The biggest mistake most health practitioners make in business include is not to prioritize time for personal and business development. Working on the business, not just in the business (the E-Myth) will develop systems and strategies. Not doing so is the most prolific harness that holds any business owner from realising their goals.

3 critical elements of a successful practitioner mindset
1. Adopt an entrepreneur’s mentality
2. Categorise your ABC class clients
3. Reprogram your beliefs about money – and your right to be successful

Money is an accurate reflection of our beliefs

• If you were programmed to be rich, what would you be?
• Best place to be with money is not to need it.
• Your level of income and wealth is governed by your beliefs and your comfort zone.
• We will look for evidence to support our currently held beliefs Beliefs vs Truth.
• Low level skill compared to relationships.

From Fear To Prosperity

Wellness Business Mentoring is an online process with no set dates or group attendance so we work together and set each session. It includes individual fortnightly online consults, ongoing content critique and frequent communication* that focuses on strategically systemising your business, creating your unique offer, improving your marketing skills, understanding the current global wellness market and learning how to future hunt new trends before they arise. Full payment incentives provide savings or direct debit options are available.
*Terms & conditions apply.

So if you’re keen to develop your edible, wearable or readable product, launch your clinical practice, or set up a wholefoods cafe then email now and register your interest.

Sam Gowing’s Wellness Business Mentoring

As a woman working in the health industry, you’ll know all about challenges – the business world is full of them, and it can be tough to get that all-important advantage, or ‘edge’. The good news is that, with Sam Gowing’s one-to-one business mentoring, you can take advantage of Sam’s expertise, and in particular her unique vision and values assessment, and learn to apply that to your own challenges and ambitions.

Sam’s mentoring is all conducted via Zoom, so it doesn’t matter where you are, and it’s easy to fit the program around your business commitments.

So what can Sam’s mentoring program do for YOU?

For a start, Sam can help you to define what you want. Working together, you and Sam will clarify exactly what you wish to achieve, and link those goals to your own values, purpose and life vision. This can transform your approach to business, giving you a clear purpose that you are happy to commit to, and a path to achievement.

Sam will also help you to examine your current situation, taking into account your successes and failures. You will identify patterns of behaviour, and learn to adapt these to suit your needs, all with Sam’s expert guidance. She will help you to spot and break down any barriers to success, and establish the resources and support systems that can really help you. This will put you in a great position to work out, in detail, the steps you need to take to get what you want — and Sam will help you with this, too.

Sam’s business mentoring helps you to identify and effectively use the skills and advantages you already have. She can show you how to blend these with powerful approaches to systemization, organization and execution, in ways that can seriously improve your results and give you that all-important business ‘edge’.

What is more, having a really efficiently-run business can free up time for you to do more of the other things you love, whether that’s spending time with the family, travel, or pursuing other hobbies. It might even give you more time to relax!

To sum up, the benefits and outcomes of Sam Gowing’s one-to-one mentoring include:

• A highly personalized approach that will tackle your own, specific, needs and aspirations.
• A valuable investment in your, and your family’s, life and future — studies show that one-to-one mentoring can produce a 10:1 return on investment.
• New ways of tapping into your creativity and potential, and better learning skills.
• The chance to greatly improve your business skills, including crucial skills such as verbal and non-verbal communication, effective listening, presentation, planning, organization and delegation.
• Concentration, confidence and decision-making can all improve; you can learn to get rid of fears and anxieties, reduce work stressors and relax.
• You’ll be able to turn to respected hospitality and wellness industry expert, Sam Gowing, as a sounding-board for your ideas, strategies and plans, and for unbiased advice on business decisions.
• Sam’s mentoring can help you to seriously improve productivity.
• You’ll get powerful feedback from an industry leader, that you can put to practical use in your business.
• In short, one-to-one mentoring with Sam Gowing can help you to become a better, more skilled and effective entrepreneur — and to streamline your business ambitions with your personal and family life.

Does this resonate with you? If so, Sam would love to work with you!  The program usually comprises 12 fortnightly, 45-minute long Zoom sessions with Sam. All calls are individual, so you can work one-to-one with Sam and focus entirely on your own business needs. Call or SMS 0411 852 387.

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