How to price appointments in 2026

Pricing your services is the most consequential decision you'll make in any given year. A 10% increase — if you don't lose clients — flows straight to profit. A 10% decrease to 'compete' kills margin faster than any marketing campaign can replace.

The 10-minute pricing formula

Take your target annual income. Add fixed costs. Divide by realistic billable hours per year (remember leave, admin, no-shows). That's your hourly rate floor. Price every service at least that much per hour.

Local market benchmarking

Check five competitors in your suburb. Not by Googling — by actually visiting their booking pages. Note the range. Price at the top third if you're differentiated, middle third if you're newer.

Raising prices

Once a year, raise prices by 5-10%. Announce it 30 days in advance via email. Expect maybe 2% churn. Make it net-positive on the first day.