Okay, we hear it over and over throughout the course of our day, “Our economy is in big trouble and millions of American families are suffering”.

So what is one to do?

With any challenge or obstacle, we always have choices.  Of course, you could decrease your living expenses or you could go out and get a second job or…

If you have your own offline or online business, you could increase your fees.  Many women I’ve discovered, are “undercharging” for their services anyway; not placing enough value on what they are offering.

Right now I am reading the book, “The Trick to Money is Having Some” by Stuart Wilde who is a very humorous and matter of fact kinda guy.  Here is what Stuart saids about what to charge:

“Many find it hard to charge for what they do, for the ego hesitates, feels that people will react negatively.  In fact, quite the reverse is the case.  People like you to charge them more.  It makes them feel more important.  How much buzz do you get out of spending 9 cents at Woolworth’s?  But a $200 meal makes you feel special.  You feel you are getting value.  Further, the more you charge, the more people respect you.   If you do things on the cheap, people tend to get down on you and find fault with what you do.  Having gotten something for nothing they begin to demand more.  That’s human nature.”

We all know what Stuart is saying is true.  We don’t value things that we get for nothing or almost nothing. 

Let me share with you a brief story about how I doubled my fees years ago when I was teaching public speaking courses…

I received a call from a large insurance company that wanted to hire me to do a public speaking course for some of their sales people.  At the time, I was busy with other things and didn’t really want the job.  So instead of turning it down, I thought to myself, “Instead of charging my usual $125 per hour, I’ll double my fees to $250 per hour” and they will turn me down because it will be too expensive.” 

Well, lo and behold, they didn’t even blink an eye when I told them my rates.  They hired me for a 1-ay course and I made a great deal of money that day!  That taught me a powerful lesson:  I was worth more than I thought I was worth and the marketplace was willing to pay me a lot  more than I was charging!

So, my question for you is, are you charging enough for your services and/or products?  If you’re not sure, why not test it out and start charging more and see what happens.

My advice is:  Always underpromise and overdeliver, but make sure you are charging what you’re worth!