‘It’s kind of a spiritual snobbery that makes people think they can be happy without money’. —Albert Camus Have you ever worked out how much money you have “left on the table” just because you never asked for it?
You’ve probably seen the sort of advertisements that investment companies like to use; in graph or table form, they show how savings reinvested with compound interest mount up—how $100 a week earning compound interest of 8 percent becomes nearly $110,000 in just ten years.
Add up all the hours, weeks, months, and years of cheap deals you’ve been doing, and estimate the opportunity cost of all that unclaimed money. Now resolve not to let it continue.
Focus on how good the future will be—how much better you’ll feel. To help keep you motivated, place a reminder of the real reason you go to work somewhere you won’t forget—near your diary, computer, or phone. It could be a picture of your child with the crooked teeth that you want to have straightened, or your dream home, or the feeling of pride and accomplishment you’ll get when you bank the money—whatever it takes for you to resist the temptation to belittle your worth the next time you quote on a job.
Once you’ve set your price, be strong. Remind yourself that you are worth it. If the customer wants you, they’re not going to get you any other way.
I was wearing a beautiful pink stone bracelet, when it got caught in some clothing and the setting was damaged. I knew the stones weren’t valuable, so I continued to wear the bracelet until eventually one stone fell out. Do you think I would have done that if it had been a valuable pink diamond? Of course not, I would have gotten it fixed right away.
Make yourself valuable. Put a high price on your worth, and you may find that you get treated better.
Become discerning, and be willing to give up clients you don’t want, so you can find clients you do want. If you spend all your time with clients that are only willing to pay $10 an hour, when will you have time for those ready to spend $100?
In conclusion, remember the prophetic words of W. Somerset Maugham: ‘It’s a funny thing about life: if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it’
Nice feelings don’t pay the bills! - To learn more about this author, visit Jane Francis's Website.
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Here's one way to sidestep having to raise money from LPs: Sell your house for $76-million. 
I haven't written much in the Failure series lately, but I've got a doozy or two coming soon. 
