Are you pricing your products and services based on what your business actually needs… or are you simply charging what everyone else seems to be charging?

Because if you're working hard, making sales, staying busy, and still struggling to pay yourself properly at the end of the month, your pricing could be the real problem.

In this week's episode of Figures Without Fear, I'm tackling one of the biggest mistakes I see new and small business owners make time and time again – pricing for popularity instead of sustainability.

We'll explore why copying competitors' prices can be dangerous, how underpricing creates pressure, stress and burnout, and why more customers aren't always the answer. I'll also share a simple way to start building prices that support your business goals, your lifestyle and your long-term growth.

If you've ever worried about charging too much, felt nervous about increasing your prices, or wondered why there's never quite enough money left over at the end of the month, this episode is for you.

Because you're not here to build the cheapest business.

You're here to build one that pays you properly.

Grab a notebook, join me for a listen, and let's make sure your pricing is working for you, not against you. 🎙️

Ways to work with me

Join my Business Club: https://thebusinessbuilderonline.com/the-business-club/

Take The Pay Day Challenge: https://thebusinessbuilderonline.com/the-pay-day-challenge/

Come to the next Retreat: https://thebusinessbuilderonline.com/the-business-builder-retreat/

Most small business owners think the answer to making more money is getting more customers.

But what if the real problem isn’t sales…

What if it’s what’s happening to the money after it comes into the business?

Because I see this all the time:

Busy businesses.

…and yet the business owner still isn’t paying themselves properly.

Why?

Because turnover and profit are not the same thing.

And if your profit margins are poor, working harder often just makes you more exhausted — not more profitable.

That’s exactly what I’m talking about in my latest LinkedIn newsletter:

“3 Ways to Increase Profit Margins Without Raising Your Prices”

Inside I cover:

Plus I’ve included two quick practical tasks you can implement immediately to start thinking more like a CEO and less like someone constantly chasing the next sale.

Because you don’t always need more customers…

Sometimes you just need to keep more of what you’re already earning.

If that sounds like something your business desperately needs right now, this episode is definitely worth a listen.

Ways to work with me...

Subscribe to Figures Without Fear to get more hints, tips and ideas to grow your business

Take The Pay Day Challenge! Start paying yourself a consistent wage from net month. Learn more here

Book a FREE strategy call to help align your business plans with your personal income goals

Share this post with your audience to help other small business owners

Join The Business Club for ongoing support, advice and guidance. Join Here!

As sole traders we are taught to pay ourselves whatever is left at the end of the month.

But what if that amount is not enough?

The problem is not too little turnover

The problem is not too few clients or customers

The problem is not understanding the difference between gross profit and net profit.

And that misunderstanding quietly kills businesses.

You can be:

…but still be:

Here’s the hard truth:

Revenue is vanity.

And your salary?

👉 That comes last—unless you plan for it properly.

In my latest newsletter, I break this down in simple, no-jargon terms:

Plus, I’ve included two simple exercises to help you apply it immediately.

Because understanding this isn’t about accounting.

It’s about building a business that works for you.

If you’ve ever thought:

This one’s for you.

Don’t want to go it alone? Here’s how we can work together…

Book a FREE strategy call to help align your business plans with your personal income goals

Join The Business Club for ongoing support, advice and guidance. Join Here!

Take The Pay Day Challenge! Start paying yourself a consistent wage from net month. Learn more here

Let me ask you something…

How many potential customers have you spoken to recently… that just quietly disappeared?

No follow-up.

Because if you’re anything like most business owners—I’ve been there too—you’re relying on memory, messages, and a bit of hope to manage your sales.

And that’s where things start slipping through the cracks.

Great conversations… gone.

Not because your offer isn’t good enough—

So in today’s episode, we’re fixing that.

We’re talking about how to build a simple, no-nonsense sales pipeline tracker—the kind that takes minutes to set up, seconds to update, and actually gets used.

No complicated systems.

Who’s interested…

Because here’s the truth…

You don’t need more leads.

You just need to manage the ones you’ve already got—properly.

Let’s get into it.

What do do next...

Let me ask you something…

Have you ever looked at your business and thought, “I just need to make more money”?

So you push harder.

And on the surface, it looks like it’s working.

Your revenue goes up.

But somehow… nothing really changes for you.

You’re busier than ever.

In fact, your £100K business turns into a £150K business…

Or less.

If that sounds familiar, this episode is going to hit close to home.

Because the problem isn’t how much you’re making —

And until you fix that, your business will keep expanding to consume everything you bring in… like trying to fill a bucket with a hole in the bottom.

In today’s episode, we’re talking about the shift that most business owners never make — the one that changes everything:

👉 Moving from chasing revenue… to building for profit.

Because if your business can’t pay you properly, consistently, every single month…

It’s not really a business.

And once you see that?

You can’t unsee it.

Let’s get into it.

Next steps you can take...

Subscribe to Figures Without Fear to get more hints, tips and ideas to grow your business

Book a FREE strategy call to help align your business plans with your personal income goals

Share this post with your audience to help other small business owners

Take The Pay Day Challenge! Join Here

Join The Business Club for ongoing support, advice and guidance. Join Here!

Let’s talk about something most business owners don’t realise until they’re deep into it…

Your break-even number probably isn’t what you think it is.

On paper, it seems simple.

But in reality, it’s rarely that straightforward.

You can be busy.

And still not be properly covering your costs — let alone paying yourself what you deserve.

In this episode, we break down why that gap exists between what you think your business needs and what it actually needs — and why that gap is often the root of financial stress, confusion, and feeling like you’re constantly working but never quite getting ahead.

We’ll walk through the key concepts that trip so many people up, including:

Plus, there are a couple of simple, practical tasks you can do straight away to get clarity on your numbers — no complicated spreadsheets required.

Because here’s the truth:

More sales won’t fix a business that isn’t built on solid numbers.

But once you understand what your business actually needs to work… everything changes.

This episode is your reality check — the one that helps you stop guessing, start understanding your numbers, and begin building a business that actually supports you.

If you’ve ever wondered why you’re working so hard but still not seeing the financial results you expected…

This one’s for you.

Next steps you can take...

 Subscribe to Figures Without Fear to get more hints, tips and ideas to grow your business

Book a FREE strategy call to help align your business plans with your personal income goals

Share this post with your audience to help other small business owners

Take The Pay Day Challenge! Join Here

Join The Business Club for ongoing support, advice and guidance. Join Here!

Starting a business is exciting. You’ve got the ideas, you’ve got the energy, and you’ve got a vision.

You know what you want and as long as you stay positive and just keep going you will get there, right?

But here’s the truth most people don’t tell you:

Just because you started a business doesn’t mean you’re acting like the CEO.

A real CEO doesn’t just do things — they make decisions based on clarity, especially around numbers.

They don’t allocate budgets for something they know they don’t need or that they can’t see the value in or where the return on the investment will be.

They don’t put their focus on fluffy stuff that will usually cost money rather than make it (and a CEO knows the difference and is honest about it)

But most new business owners don’t do any of this high-level stuff, because they are NOT acting like a CEO

How do you know if you are?

If you’re still doing any of the things we talk about in this podcast episode, you’re not leading your business… you’re just busy in it and being busy doesn’t necessarily transfer into getting paid.

It sounds completely backwards, doesn’t it?

More customers should mean more success. More growth. More money. That’s what we’re taught, what we see online, and what most business advice seems to push us toward.

“Get more clients.”

And while none of those things are wrong, they can quietly lead you into a trap if you’re not careful.

Have a listen to this week's episode to find out what that trap is - and how to avoid it!

Last week, I shared why profit matters more than turnover — and why revenue alone can be a misleading number.

This week, I want to build on that.

Because even when business owners understand profit…

They still fall into one of the most common traps:

Being busy instead of being profitable.

And the two are not the same thing.

The Illusion of Being Busy

In the early stages of running a business, being busy feels like success. It feels like progress, it feels like you’re doing what needs to be done to move your business forward.

But the truth is it's holding you back

Listen to this weeks episode to find out why, and what to do about it.

Turnover looks impressive. But it can also be dangerously misleading.

For many new business owners, revenue becomes the primary scoreboard. You hit £50k, £100k, £250k — and it feels like progress. And I get it, it’s what people in your networks keep talking about, it’s what you think you should be focusing on – and I thought the same thing.

Since I very first started my business I had this idea that I wanted to hit £100k turnover and be a “six figure business” and then I’d feel like I’d made it.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Revenue doesn’t tell you if your business actually works, if it’s sustainable or even if it’s going to be able to pay you at the end of the month.

In this episode of Figures Without Fear I break down what that means and what really matters.