Teresa was my father's hospice aide ($15hr agency). She's amazing. Dad passed in October. When it came time to clear his place, I instantly thought of Teresa and offered her $30 an hour. She was shocked at the offer. I told her:
Never ever devalue yourself. Know your worth.
I'd already seen her in action. For me, that was her resume. In, out; done like a lighting bolt. She's super efficient with her time. I've hired her three other times. Moving. Cleaning. Organizing.
She's since signed two other clients at $30. One of them called me for a reference, prompting this post. I told them they could hire two people at $15, or Teresa at $30, and she'd be done before them. The caller said “I'd much rather worry about one new person cleaning & organizing my home than two”. There you go, another selling point.
About three weeks ago she called me for advice. She was countered $25. I asked her if she'd discussed her minimum two hours. She had not. I told her maybe this client wouldn't have an issue with a three hour minimum. She signed the client. Minimum $75 held more value than minimum $60. They saw more value in how long she was making herself available to them. The “loss” proved to be a wash within a couple weeks.
Know your worth.