How do you set your fees so that they’re fair and compassionate to your clients… without undervaluing your worth? Money is an uncomfortable topic for many people, especially women. And it can be difficult to ask for what your work is actually worth (or even realize your worth in the first place). But you’re not truly serving anyone when you set a low bar for your pricing. To run a business, you need to have money.

When it comes to choosing a number for your pricing, nobody wants to be in a race to the bottom — including your clients! Undercharging not only prevents you from making the type of income that your work deserves, but it can hurt the profession as a whole… as well as your clients. 

Charging too little can lead to demotivation, resentment, and “calling it in” during your client visits. Your fees and revenue goals should challenge and motivate you to be the best lactation consultant you can be, and provide you with a living. 

It’s important to know your worth as a business owner and to represent that fairly within your specific market. For this reason, market research is a must when figuring out your fee system. The next step? Learning how to effectively communicate your incredible value through your marketing.

In this episode, we talk through the tough topic of setting your fees for your private lactation practice. Once you’ve set your rate, you can begin working towards long-term goals for your business as a whole. So, let’s get started.

“We’re talking about money — and money is scary to talk about.”

In this episode, we will cover:

• How to overcome the fear of fee-setting (05:04)
• The danger of underpricing (08:10)
• How to come up with your fees — and what your fees say about your business (11:22)  
• Why a sliding scale system is the most ethical, professional way to offer lower rates (23:14)
• How to communicate your value — and where to make your best client-attracting connections (26:28)

Like this episode? Want more?

The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters. 

Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member! 

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Links and Resources

• Setting Your Fees So You Can Achieve Your Goals (Free PDF) https://annie-frisbie-ibclc-inc.ck.page/8435e370bc
•  Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Mike Michalowicz https://profitfirstbook.com
• BABE Lactation Consultants https://www.bayareabreastfeeding.net/blog
• Subscribe to the Deeper Dive Membership: https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/subscription/deeper-dive-membership
• Have an idea for a podcast episode or a Deeper Dive? Let us know! https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/form/collaborate

If you like what you heard today, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram and leave us a review on iTunes. You can email us questions and comments at [email protected].

About Us

Leah Jolly is a private practice IBCLC with Bay Area Breastfeeding in Houston, Texas.

Annie Frisbie is a private practice IBCLC serving Queens and Brooklyn in New York City and the creator of the Lactation Consultant Private Practice Toolkit.

Many thanks to Stephanie Granade for her production assistance, and to Silas Wade for creating our theme music