Hi queens! this is just something I think we all need to hear. Happy reading The Positives and Negatives of Pricing Our Work as Designers One of the hardest parts of being a designer is not always creating the design—it’s putting a price on what we create. As designers, we sometimes look at a finished backdrop and think about the fabric, flowers, stands, or equipment we used. But our clients are also paying for something they cannot see: our creativity, knowledge, experience, preparation, labor, problem-solving skills, and ability to transform a vision into an experience. The positive side of pricing correctly is that we begin treating our creativity like a business. Proper pricing allows us to cover our materials, labor, assistants, transportation, setup and breakdown, equipment maintenance, taxes, overhead, and still make a profit. It also gives us the ability to reinvest in better inventory, improve our skills, and continue growing. Most importantly, it prevents us from constantly working hard while wondering where the money went. The negative side often appears when we underprice ourselves. Sometimes we lower our prices because we are afraid the client will say no, because another designer charges less, or because we are still building confidence. But being busy does not necessarily mean being profitable. If a $1,000 design costs us $800 in expenses and labor to produce, we didn't really make $1,000. There is another side to this conversation too: higher pricing should be supported by the value and experience we provide. We cannot simply increase our prices because we want to be considered luxury. Our craftsmanship, professionalism, communication, reliability, quality of materials, execution, and client experience should grow along with our prices. I’m learning that pricing is not about being the cheapest designer in the room—or trying to be the most expensive. It is about understanding what it actually costs to create my work and what it takes to run a sustainable business.