Price Like a Creative, Not a Charity
You didn’t start your brand to play accountant. You started it because you had a vision: designs, products, or ideas that deserved to live in the world.
But somewhere between your first pop-up and your Shopify store, you got stuck in the same trap so many creatives do: undervaluing your work.
Friends ask for discounts. Customers DM you for deals. Competitors slash their prices and brag about “volume.” And you, out of fear or politeness, drop your numbers to keep up.
Here’s the problem. When you undervalue your work, you’re not making your business more accessible. You’re draining the energy and resources you need to keep creating.
Creativity Needs Cash Flow
Let’s be real: your craft takes money. The fabrics, the labs, the packaging, the edits, the hours you put into perfecting details no one else notices. Pricing isn’t about greed. It’s about giving yourself enough fuel to keep going.
Strong pricing does three things for creatives:
Protects your art. Cheapening your price cheapens how your work is perceived.
Funds your freedom. Paying yourself consistently means you don’t have to burn out or say yes to every project.
Signals value. In creative industries, people often can’t judge quality objectively. They look at price as a clue.
Guardrails for Creatives Who Hate Math
You don’t need to love spreadsheets to protect your margins. Here are the rules I give creative founders:
1. Set your floor.
If it costs you $20 to make, don’t charge $30. Start at $60. That covers cost, taxes, and enough margin to pay you.
2. Pick your promo windows.
Anchor discounts to two or three moments a year like a big holiday, an anniversary, or Black Friday. Random codes erode trust and profit.
3. Bundle smart.
Offer curated sets that increase average order value instead of chopping prices. For example, pair a hero product with a lower-margin add-on.
4. Write a fair-pricing statement.
Be transparent: “We price to fund fair pay, sustainable materials, and our ability to serve you long term.” Customers respect honesty.
5. Track contribution margin.
Look at what’s left after materials, packaging, shipping, and discounts. If a SKU doesn’t clear 50 percent, rethink it.
The Mindset Shift
As a creative, your work already has value. It’s not your job to make it cheap enough. Your job is to price it in a way that sustains the vision and the community you’re building.
Accessibility isn’t about lowering yourself until you can’t breathe. It’s about creating a business strong enough to serve more people, longer.
Closing Thought
Undervaluation is the fastest way to burn out your creative energy. Pricing power is what lets you keep experimenting, keep pushing, and keep making the work that only you can.
If you’re ready to stop guessing and start pricing with confidence, book a Pricing Strategy Review with Anglade Advisory. We’ll set numbers that protect your art, your pay, and your future.
