Expert Pricing Workbook — Cuxley

Most professionals who go independent set their rate once and revisit it reluctantly every few years. That first number, usually set quickly and without much calculation, tends to stick. The research consistently shows it's too low.

This workbook is the calculation most people never do.

It covers the four numbers that determine your real rate: what you need to earn, what your business costs to run, how many hours you can realistically bill, and what the tax position looks like at different income levels. The result is your floor. Everything below it is charity.

It then covers the market side: where to find comparable rates for your type of expertise, how to position yourself within the range, and how to justify a number above the median.

What's included:

The minimum viable rate calculator. A structured worksheet that takes your real numbers — income target, business costs, billable hours, tax rate and produces your floor rate. Takes about 20 minutes with accurate inputs.

The market rate framework. Where to find what the market pays for your expertise category and how to read comparable data without being misled by outliers or different service structures.

The gap analysis worksheet. Once you have your floor and the market range, this worksheet shows the gap and gives you a structured way to think about how and when to close it.

Pricing scripts for four conversations. The four client conversations where pricing comes up most often: the initial scoping call, the proposal follow-up, the rate increase discussion, and the pushback response. Not scripts to read verbatim. Frameworks for thinking through each one.

The packaging guide. How to structure different types of engagements (project, retainer, advisory, fractional) so the pricing reflects the value rather than just the hours.

Who this is for: Consultants, freelancers, interim executives and independent professionals who have been in practice for at least a few years and suspect they are undercharging, or who are setting their rate for the first time and want to base it on a real calculation rather than a guess.

Who this is not for: People at the very start of their independent career who have not yet validated their offer with paying clients. Get one client first, then use this workbook to review your rate.

Guarantee: 90 days. If you go through the workbook and it doesn't give you what you came for, email hello@cuxley.com and I will refund you in full. No questions about why.

Questions before buying? Email hello@cuxley.com