If you’ve ever quoted a price, heard “yes” instantly, and thought… “I’ve definitely undercharged” – you probably did.
Most small business owners don’t have a pricing issue, they have a pricing structure clarity issue. You know your craft, you care deeply about your clients, but when it comes to putting numbers on your offers, it’s easy to choose what feels “reasonable” instead of what’s actually profitable.
At TNQ, we help clients build pricing structures that support profit, sustainability, and growth, not stress, guessing, or feast-and-famine cycles.
You cannot build profitable offers if the foundations are foggy. Profit isn’t a lucky leftover; it’s the outcome of intentional decisions around costs, capacity and pricing.
TNQ walks clients through this step all the time, because a strong pricing structure starts with clear baselines.
Start with three key questions:
Salary/dividends, pension contributions, plus a buffer.
Actual deliverable hours are always less than expected.
Once you know this, you can reverse-engineer your baseline rate.
Business overheads: £2,000
Personal income target: £3,000
Combined target: £5,000
Deliverable hours per month: ~80
Minimum hourly baseline:
£5,000 ÷ 80 = £62.50 per hour
This is NOT your selling rate.
This is your floor – the foundation of your pricing structure, not the final price.
TNQ often sees business owners undercharge because their offers are built around a list of tasks, not the transformation they create.
Ask yourself:
People pay for outcomes, not deliverables.
Profit leaks come from vagueness — extra calls, endless revisions, “quick favours.”
TNQ helps clients restructure offers with:
Clear boundaries = clear pricing structure = clear profit.
3 tiers work best:
This structure helps clients self-select without discounting.
There’s no single “right” price, but there are smarter ways to build a profitable pricing structure.
If your work:
…your fee should reflect a portion of that value.
Does the price:
If you need 30 sales of a time-heavy offer to survive, the model is broken.
Try:
If everyone says yes instantly, you’re still too cheap.
A solid pricing structure includes how clients pay, not just how much.
Examples:
Deposits:
TNQ always encourages predictable income when possible.
Examples:
Retainers make pricing smoother and help you invest confidently.
Plans maintain your pricing integrity without reducing your profit.
You can create the perfect pricing structure, but still sabotage yourself in the sales conversation.
Instead of:
“It costs £X for these tasks…”
Try:
“Here are the outcomes we’ll achieve.
The investment for that result is £X.”
Say the price. Stop talking. Let them respond.
Try:
Protect the integrity of your pricing. Scope can flex — value shouldn’t.
You are not your ideal client.
Most competitors haven’t done the maths either.
Temporary, strategic discounts only.
Custom = chaos unless priced at a premium.
TNQ recommends reviewing your pricing structure every 6–12 months.
The one you want to be known for.
“We help [WHO] achieve [OUTCOME] in [TIMEFRAME] by [METHOD].”
Include thinking time, communication, revisions — not just hands-on work.
Add a profit margin of 30–50% above your baseline.
With a clear, intentional pricing structure.
Clients, peers, or your accountant (TNQ can help here).
Profit isn’t selfish – it’s sustainability.
When you design offers around value and build a strong pricing structure, you create:
Your pricing should support you – not stress you. If you’re struggling with this on your own, ditch the DIY approach and find out how The Numbers Quarter can help – it might be time to switch accountants.