Yesterday someone asked what resolutions I have for Lamplight Creatives in 2020. I have two defined goals in which I shared with them.
Later that day, someone else asked what my word of the year will be. By that, they meant which word I will use to guide business decisions I make.
Both of these questions helped me define what my theme for 2020 will be. The word I came up with that sums up my intentions is CONFIDENCE.
Now, for those of you that know me, you may be thinking “uh, Allison, you are by no means lacking confidence.” And this may be true in my personal life.
But, in business I’m new to almost all the decisions I need to make. My confidence is being tested in new ways, and the thing I have struggled with the most is feeling comfortable with asking people to pay what I know I’m worth. What I know our creatives are worth.
I’m not talking about dollar amounts that are outside of industry standards or the means of the people we are here to serve. I’m not talking about an astronomical increase of what we currently charge because I selfishly want to make more money.
I’m talking about being comfortable with being a boutique and not a department store.
We don’t buy in bulk, we deliver one-of-a-kind products. Our work is custom made and vision-centered around our clients. Our projects include full-service production from concept to completion. We provide access to a network that can do anything one would need.
Our business model is unique and the local market is not saturated with the same concept, so why shouldn’t our prices reflect that?
MY CONFESSION
I had no idea when I set out to start a business that the most difficult thing was going to be putting a price tag on our service. I’ve always felt I’ve had a healthy relationship with money, but for some reason, having to be the person declaring value and asking for it has been challenging.
But, undervaluing our worth because I feel bad asking for more is doing no favors to my business or to the statement value of our work. The truth is, I know we’re worth more. But, it took me a couple of months in business to convince myself of that.
In 2020, I’m going to have the confidence to embrace our value and to be comfortable asking for it. Along the way, we may lose a project or two because our price-point doesn’t align with that of a client’s. And that’s okay.
As business owners, as much as we want to, we can’t serve everyone. Being in business is ultimately about our bottom line, and even though it can feel uncomfortable to acknowledge that, business has to be sustainable.
So, this year, I will actively work on maintaining the confidence to ask for a value that represents our quality of work, our commitment to our clients, and the creativity and talent we bring to a project. And, I will trust that people will see our value for what’s it’s worth.
Click here to read Part 1 of my confessions.