We’re brought up being taught not to talk about money – it’s a taboo topic and as a result it’s something we don’t know how to think about. When you get into business, you likely bring those values and ideas with you. Having you ever had difficulty figuring out what to charge, how to value your services and what would be appropriate for your marketplace?

When you are thinking about what to charge, do you ever come up against negative feelings, or wonder about what you’re really worth? You’ll know you have if you’ve ever thought – they’ll never pay me that to do ___________. What do I really know anyway? Is it that valuable?

Interestingly, no matter how well trained or qualified many of us are, women have a difficult time valuing themselves and their ‘output’. It’s no wonder – we’re raised in a world where women are undervalued or worse. Our media constantly bombards us with negative images and is always telling us we’re not good enough. Or worse, we’ll only be good enough when we: are the exact right weight, have the exact right body type that’s in fashion this decade (yeah right, like we can control that!), have the right partner, the right clothes, the perfect family, the list goes on and on.

It’s no wonder we have a hard time assigning value to what we create, offer and provide our clients. Many of us have a hard time receiving too, making it difficult to ask for what we want. When someone compliments you, do you say thank you in a sincere and heartfelt way or do you start making excuses? When someone tells you they love your outfit, do you start making disclaimers? If you do, pay attention. Whenever someone says something positive to or about you, try saying: THANK YOU.

Saying thank you and accepting compliments is a good start to accepting your value and self-worth. Then, think about a pricing strategy that really values your contribution. Often the only thing between you and getting the prices you would really like is asking for them. I’m not suggesting that’s easy for most of to do, but it is that simple. Accepting compliments is learning to receive. Learning to receive begins a pattern of asking for what we’re worth.

Become friends with money and pricing. Determine how your skills measure up to those of other people in your field, compare how long you’ve been practicing and set your prices accordingly – and boldly! Only by testing can you find your value in the marketplace and chances are, it’s higher than you thought and your clients will express their gratitude for your expertise by paying you handsomely for your solutions to their problems.

Certified Mentor & Coach for Women Reeny Barron Law of Attraction, Energy Psychology and New generation techniques to empower transformational entrepreneurs to achieve their life and business goals aligning mindset and marketing – Connecting Heart and Business to Attract the Right Clients, Income and Lifestyle.   Her blog includes inspirational articles showing you how to use your business to create your ideal lifestyle.