What to Do Next: Improving Commercial Clarity and Pricing
If this area feels uncomfortable, don’t worry – I can assure you you’re not alone. Building a commercial model that works is surprisingly hard and you’ll probably try a few different ones before finding the one that works for you. If you’ve had little success in this area, it may well be that you have had to make too many decisions about it in isolation.
It’s common to carry a nagging unease about whether your business is actually working properly for you, ie: providing a proper return for your time and money. This is a lack of commercial clarity.
What this score usually means – you may recognise some of this:
- Pricing that is not aligned with experience, output or demand
- Revenue that feels fragile not consistent
- Work that takes more out than it gives back
- A reluctance to look too closely at the numbers, just in case
This isn’t about not understanding finance. It’s about avoiding decisions that feel risky when you’re the only one carrying the consequences.
What to focus on first
Before changing prices or launching something new, I’d get very honest about where the money actually comes from.
Look at your numbers and work out the percentage of revenue and profit that comes from each area of the business.
- Which work genuinely funds the business
- Which work is being subsidised by your time, goodwill or exhaustion?
Most founders know the answer instinctively, but haven’t given themselves permission to act on it.
The goal here isn’t optimisation. It’s truth.
One practical thing to do this week
Take one hour and look at a single offer or service. Just one.
Ask yourself:
- What does it cost me in time and energy to deliver this?
- What does it actually contribute to the business?
- If I were starting today, would I price it the same way?
If the answers feel uncomfortable, that’s useful information — not a reason to stop.
A mindset shift that helps
Pricing isn’t a personality test. It’s a design decision.
Under-pricing is rarely about generosity. More often, it’s about fear — fear of losing work, fear of being judged, fear of being told “no”. Solo founders are particularly vulnerable here because there’s no buffer. Every decision feels personal.
But avoiding pricing decisions doesn’t protect you. It slowly drains you
Why accountability matters here
Money is one of the hardest things to look at alone. When there’s no one to sense-check your thinking, it’s easy to normalise situations that aren’t sustainable.
Having a place where money can be talked about plainly — without shame, bravado or jargon — changes everything. Clarity comes faster, and decisions stick.
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