Ooh just realised I didn't answer the question lol.

I would like to raise my rates again, but as I have limited working hours I need to be fairly sure I can still get the work in. I'd probably earn the same amount and just work less at a higher rate but with my lack of flexibility it's just not an option.

I often think about lowering my rates again and doing more high volume on the days I work and having more time off, but I've marketed myself into a corner now.

Hi girls

I changed my prices a few months back and it has changed everything and brought me so much luck. I was worried about it as I thought I would lose buisness but my buisness has actually increased. And I've got a whole new c lientel. I've kept on a few regs  but everyone is pretty much brand new. I've added services on to my profile such as H/S which I charge alot for and I'm getting up to three bookings a week for it. last week i took two phone bookings, thevrest were through AW .I've only been independant since August 2015 and I've changed the way I work so much. I have vowed not to tour again as it destroyed me and I resent paying out the expenses. I've been looking for new work premises already and i just feel so different and positive .I've never  felt so at ease and comfortable at work and everything seems to be going my way. I truly believe raising my prices was a good omen as everything has changed dramatically since.

had anyone else found raising prices had changed buisness? Xxx

I put mine up a couple of weeks a go, only by a tenner an hour but also a tenner on my half hour rate (because they annoy me ) and it's been fine, have had a flurry of new guys. I'm hoping the semi regulars will keep coming and with my good regs I'm going to be laid back about the price increase. I think a few won't see because they call me direct to book, but if they offer more money I'll accept but of they question it I'll probably let them keep the old price.

I am astonished that you are all putting your prices UP in January.  May I ask you what part of the UK do you all live in please?

I charge ?70 half hour and ?90 45 mins and ?110 1 hour but Jan. is invariably a good month these days.  I live in the middle of the country and the culture just isn't lavish or spendthrift whatsoever.  It sucks but it cannot be changed.

I think those are good prices for a) the location and b) the hours I am available (extremely limited owing to no help with childcare).  I don't live in London or the south-east any longer and I have to price accordingly.

I put my prices up by a tenner on half an hour and twenty on an hour and both weeks of Jan I have reached my weekly target by the Tues. I'm on the outskirts of Birmingham. 

So do you think I should put my half hour up to ?80 and 45 mins to ?100 and 1 hour up to ?120 then?

Where I live very few have it that price so I don't want to price myself out of work.  Thanks for any insight.

One advantage to raising your rates is you will fall off the radar of the hobbyist forums. I know that they say they'll never pay over ?X amount, but they likely will... but not admit to it.

I have a friend who is above ?X and she has never been reviewed. Another girl I know used to rack up tons of glowing reviews, and they have completely dried up since she started charging well above ?X. Obviously, business hasn't dried up. She was already too busy and she's still fully booked. She just doesn't get talked about and that suits her fine.

I have edged above ?X and I'm as busy as ever. I didn't just put up my prices: I created a new service and market it appealingly.

There may be grumbles if you raise your rates, but it means nothing. Only the amount of money you make in the time you have available matters.

I daresay you offer more services than me and I charge 80 per half hour (my rates are exactly those you suggested above). And I'm not in an affluent area either.

What I do have is a weekday daytime rate (which I know I've posted about before, so apologies for boring anybody to death) which gives them 20 quid off per booking so 60/80/100 until 4pm which means I can normally make my money by then and go home plus it means my regulars can visit more often than they otherwise would. I'd rather somebody came twice a month at 100 than once at 150 and if somebody wants an evening or Saturday booking at the full rate I can do it or not depending on whether I can be bothered .

I don't offer the discount rate when I'm touring because of the extra costs, but if you're sticking to a base it might be worth a thought, especially if you're trying a separate place and foot traffic's less of a concern?

Well it works for me, and if I had neighbours to worry about who were around in the evenings I'd definitely think about it.

I mostly do it because I like to be packed up, home and in my dressing gown before Hollyoaks .