If you’re self-employed, there’s a good chance you’ve undercharged at some point.

Not because you didn’t do the work.
Not because the work wasn’t valuable.
But because charging for the actual time and effort felt uncomfortable.

I see this all the time, and I’ve done it myself more times than I’d like to admit.

Today was a perfect example.

When a “one-hour job” turns into four

I recently completed a task that took around four hours.

On the surface, it should have taken about an hour.
But the website had been set up in a way that made a simple transfer far more complex than expected. That extra time wasn’t due to lack of experience or ability. It was caused by inherited technical issues.

And yet, when it came time to invoice, I only charged for an hour.

Why?

Because I felt guilty charging more than what the job should have taken.

The guilt of charging for real work

This is where many self-employed people get stuck.

We don’t charge for reality.
We charge for expectation.

If a task should take an hour, we bill an hour, even if it takes four. The disconnect between expectation and reality is often where guilt shows up.

We convince ourselves that charging for the extra time is somehow unfair, even when the extra work is completely justified.

The strange double standard we live with

Here’s the part that always makes me stop and think.

When someone does work for me, I have no issue paying them properly. If the job is done to specification and delivered well, I’m happy to pay what it’s worth.

But when I’m the one providing the service?

Suddenly I question it.
Suddenly I minimise the effort involved.
Suddenly I feel uncomfortable charging the same value.

It’s a strange double standard, and one I see in business owners across every industry.

When affordable pricing becomes unsustainable

I offer a very basic website package priced at £499.

In theory, it should take around 6 to 8 hours to complete.
In practice, the most recent one took many more.

When I added up the emails, setup, revisions, troubleshooting, and general problem-solving, I worked out I was effectively earning less than £2 an hour.

That isn’t generosity.
That’s unsustainable.

And yet, the idea of charging more still brings up discomfort.

Why so many business owners undercharge

Undercharging isn’t usually about confidence or capability.
It’s psychological.

Common reasons include:

• We don’t want to feel like we’re taking advantage

• We worry about being seen as expensive

• We want to be helpful and accommodating

• We assume clients understand the effort involved

• We tie our self-worth to affordability

But time, focus, and experience all have value, even when they’re invisible to the client.

The real cost of undercharging your services

Undercharging doesn’t just affect income.

It impacts:

• Energy levels

• Motivation

• Long-term sustainability

• Quality of work

• How much resentment quietly builds up

When work consistently takes longer than expected and pricing doesn’t reflect that, the cost is usually absorbed by the business owner. Mentally, financially, and emotionally.

A healthier way forward

The solution isn’t necessarily charging more overnight.

For me, it starts with boundaries.

Clear terms and conditions.
Defined scope of work.
Transparent pricing structures.
Charging for complexity beyond the norm.

For example:

• A package includes X

• Anything beyond that is chargeable

• Fixing inherited problems still takes time, and time has value

This isn’t about being difficult.
It’s about being honest.

Charging fairly isn’t selfish

Charging properly isn’t about greed.

It’s about sustainability.

If a business can’t support the person running it, it won’t last. And if it doesn’t last, it can’t help anyone.

If you’ve ever:

• Reduced an invoice

• Felt awkward sending a bill

• Charged for what should have happened instead of what did

• Felt guilty valuing your own time

You’re not broken.
You’re not alone.

Sometimes the first step isn’t charging more.
It’s simply recognising that your time already counts.