[Sunshine/Cleaning]

What factors do you take into account when explaining a price rise?

ie. General cost of living rise, additional work on the house....

[lyndy]

I would say inflation,if it's say 3% at the end of the year and you don't put prices up,the following year you will have a 3% pay cut

[steven ainger]

also vat is going up at the end of the year, which will increase the price of more or less everything you buy for your business

[TomCrowther]

I haven't implemented a price rise yet as only been going for 12 months or so. I think the sensible option is to increase the price every two years and base it on the previous two years rpi increase. I would explain to the customers that the price is increasing by x amount and the reasons why, but that this new price is fixed for two years. Then do the same again in two years.

[ronnie paton]

what you have to consider is how many pf your customers are actually getting a pay rise???

not many i bet and i bet many have had hours/pay reduced or even been made redundant.

is the work ok-to well priced? if yes leave it send a letter explaining how your freezing prices due to economic circumstances even though expenses are increasing you just want yo show your appreciate there continued custom

[Johnny B]

Since the credit crunch first started to bite, I have held almost all of my prices. The only ones I put up were really underpriced, so felt that I had nothing to lose by increasing them. All were accepted without complaint.

Quite a few customers have asked me 'has it gone up yet?' and I have said no, and explained that because everyone is under the cosh, as it were, I didn't want to add to their financial pressures, even in a relatively small way. I also said how much I appreciate their loyal custom. They know the prices will go up eventually, but only when the pressure is such that it won't be such a burden to them.

John.