The Stable Keel Pricing Matrix
A price built sideways off the competitor is a ship with no ballast. Plug in your real costs, your tax reserve, and your margin target — get back a price that holds the weight of your life.
Services and products are priced on different bones — pick yours.
What it actually costs to run the business each month, and how many hours you can bill.
Everything it takes to get one unit into a customer's hands, plus the cost of it sitting on a shelf.
Reserve first, then price for the margin you actually need — not whatever's left over.
The Bottom Line — Whether you sell your time or a product off a shelf, the leak is the same: pricing off what you can see instead of what it actually costs you. Set your price so your business pays for your life — not just the invoices you remembered to count.