Your numbers
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Before tax and costs, at the same amount of work you do now.
Check your contract's notice clause. 30 days is a convention, not a rule.
New rate
Extra income per year
Work you could lose and break even
Send the notice by
Break-even compares income only. It assumes your costs stay the same and doesn't count the time you'd get back.
Your notice email
A plain notice, filled in with your new rate and date. It's short on purpose. You don't owe anyone a long explanation.
You can edit the text here before copying. Changing the numbers above rewrites it.
The emails, and what to say when they push back — $19
Eight notice emails for every kind of client, six replies to the usual objections, and a sheet for deciding who gets the new rate first.
- Eight emails: standard, long-term, retainer, agency, grandfathered until a date, project rate, new-client quote, and a reminder
- Six replies, including "we have no budget" and "can you hold the old rate?"
- Three things to offer instead of a discount
- A client-by-client sheet: raise, grandfather or let go
- A prompt that rewrites any email in your own voice
When not to raise
A raise is usually the right call. Sometimes it's better to wait, or to fix something else first.
- You're in the middle of a fixed quote. Finish the work at the price you agreed. The new rate applies to the next piece of work.
- Your contract fixes the rate for a term. Read it first. If the rate is locked until a date, raise at renewal and give notice the way the contract says.
- Something just went wrong. If you missed a deadline or a client is unhappy with recent work, put that right first. Send the notice once things are steady again.
- You already raised this client in the last 12 months. Two raises close together feel like a pattern. Once a year is easier for people to plan around.
- The real problem is scope. If you're underpaid because the work keeps growing, a higher rate won't fix it. Agree what's included first, then price it.
- Losing this one client would sink you. You can still raise, but line up other work first, or raise your smaller clients and new quotes before you go to the big one.
Questions
How does the break-even number work?
If you raise by 15%, you could lose 13.0% of your work and earn the same as before. At 25%, it's 20%. The formula is 1 − 1 ÷ (1 + your raise). It's there so you can see how much room you have before a raise costs you anything.
Is 30 days' notice enough?
It's a common convention, but your contract decides. Some contracts ask for 60 or 90 days, or only allow a change at renewal. Check the notice clause, then change the notice days in the calculator.
Do I need to give a reason?
No. A short, clear notice with the new rate and the date is enough. Long explanations invite negotiation. If someone asks, a sentence is plenty.
What if a client says no?
That's what the break-even number is for. You'll know how much work you can lose before the raise costs you anything. The kit has replies for the usual objections and three things you can offer that aren't a discount.
What's in the kit, and how do I get it?
Eight emails, six objection replies, three alternatives to a discount, a client decision sheet and a voice-rewrite prompt. After you pay you land on a page with everything, ready to copy or download. Keep that link.
Does the calculator save my numbers?
No. Everything runs in your browser. Nothing is sent or stored anywhere.