Hourly Pricing vs Value Pricing: How Should You Price Your First Offer?

You are asking if you should charge per hour. At zero, hourly keeps you small.

Quick Answer Box: Hourly punishes you for getting faster and caps income. Value pricing charges for outcome and time saved. For first offer, use simple formula: time saved or money made times 10 percent as price, with floor of £300 for pilot slice. It respects both sides. ✔

Problem with hourly at zero

Client watches clock, you work slower to earn more, no incentive to be excellent. You need many hours to hit £3k.

How value pricing works simply

Example: you save a business owner 5 hours a week. That is 20 hours a month. If their time is worth £30 per hour, you save £600. Charge £300 to £500. Clear maths.

Three pricing mistakes to avoid

Pricing for friends not market.
No floor.
No retention built in.

Service suits beginners with people skills, admin, writing, tech help, and little time to build assets. Productised suits those who have done service twice and see a pattern, and want less custom back and forth.

Comparison table

Option	How priced	Client sees	You earn
Budget: £15 per hour on Upwork	Time	Cost	Capped
Our pick: Value based pilot £300 to £750	Outcome	Value	Scales
Premium: £5k high ticket mastermind	Transformation	Big promise	Needs heavy proof

FAQ

What if client asks hourly? Share outcome and fixed price: I do X outcome for £Y in Z days.
How to justify? Show maths of time saved or money made.
When to raise? After 3 paid proofs, raise 20 percent.

Price the outcome not your hours. Formula and examples in Chapter 6.