When you value your products and services, others will too

Imagine your customers asking you to lower your prices because although they want (and need) what you have to offer, they say they cannot afford it. Instead of the onus being on them to grow their business to the point they can hire you and pay fair industry rates, it becomes your responsibility to say No when they ask for special favors to make your offerings accessible to them.

As a heart-based business owner, your desire to help others is probably high. However, it’s important to carefully consider the impact and ripple-effect of accommodating those who ask for reduced rates, extended terms, or other compromises from you.

Special accommodations often translate to reduced perceived value. If consumers are able to secure products or services at less than fair market value, studies show they value them less than if they’ve given something of value, in exchange for those products/services.

Believe me, I would love nothing better than to accommodate every business owner on the planet who can benefit from my services. And when our societal agreement changes from cash money to giving away services--knowing that when I need a specific service to grow my own business the person who possesses the expertise I need will give it to me at no cost--I will be the first to offer my copywriting, copyediting and consulting expertise to help my fellow entrepreneurs succeed in business.

In the mean time, I proudly operate and honor my profitable company serving those who truly understand the value of my expertise and are relieved to delegate to a pro. Years of learning and refining my craft make it an asset to any business owner who’s ready right now to take advantage of it. And this requires that funds are allocated for this purpose.

There’s a time and a place for boot-strapping. However, when hiring business advisors--whose contribution is vital to your continued success--that approach must be replaced with a solid plan to invest in the best, as often as possible. Your legal advisor, accountant, bookkeeper, Web developer, online marketer, mentor and your friendly copywriter/editor do what they do so you can enjoy the benefits of business goal achievement and long term rewards. When you consider all the support they provide, it’s not even a thought to ask them to give more of their time or expertise without being fairly compensated.

As a provider, there may be circumstances in which you want to barter or create workable agreements that require more creativity than usual; that’s fine. You’ll know those situations when they arise. However, you can’t build a solid business by doing favors and making special arrangements just because someone asks; that’s not a successful business model. And it’s not your responsibility to make your products or services available to everyone.

If your offerings have value--and I assume they do or you wouldn’t be in business--you must value them first by putting a premium on them. Then you’ll be positioned to attract those perfect customers who genuinely want what you offer and are happy to give you what they value in exchange, to enjoy the benefits.