✍ I charged “just a bit less” to get started… in 2023. It’s now 2025 and I’m still cheaper than Pret. Help. – Budget Betty in Birmingham

Dear Betty, You’re not running a business, you’re running a charity for people with money. Being the cheapest is not a strategy, it’s a cry for help in discount form. When people see low prices, they don’t think “What a deal!” They think “What’s wrong with it?” Raise. Your. Prices. Not “a little.” At least 50%. Yes, people will say no. Those are the ones who ask for discounts and send feedback in Comic Sans anyway. You deserve more than Pret wages and less caffeine anxiety.

AFTERNOON ANGST