📈 Business Growth
How to Tell Clients
You're Raising Prices
The message most trade business owners dread sending. Here's exactly how to word it — so long-term clients stay, understand, and respect you more for asking professionally.
⏱ 6 min read
💡 Includes ready-to-send templates
Why this feels harder than it is
Trade business owners raise prices less often than they should — and when they finally do, they often send a message that sounds either defensive or corporate. Neither lands well.
The reason it feels hard is a conflation of two things: the business relationship and the transaction. You've built something good with a long-term client. You're worried that asking for more money will break that. But the two are more separate than you think.
63%
of small businesses raised prices in 2024, according to QuickBooks research
80%+
of small business owners under-price their services, according to SCORE
3–5%
annual increase is the range experts recommend to avoid sticker shock
60 days
minimum notice recommended by most business advisors for loyal clients
Raising prices is normal business behaviour. The fact that it feels awkward is a signal — not that you shouldn't do it, but that you've probably left it too long.
The Porsche test: who actually leaves
Here's a pattern that experienced cleaning and trade business owners see again and again. The clients who push back hardest over a price increase — or who leave — are rarely the ones you'd be gutted to lose.
From a cleaning business owner in a trade community discussion
"Raised prices last week. Just put it on the invoice — 'from April 1, new price.' Only lost one client. The one with the huge house and a few Porsches parked outside. Just for a 5% increase."
The client who can afford a fleet of Porsches and leaves over a £10 price increase was never going to be a great long-term relationship anyway. The increase just revealed it faster.
Research backs this up. Clients who leave over small, reasonable increases tend to be the most price-sensitive ones — often the most demanding and least profitable. The clients who stay are your real clients. The increase is a filter, not a loss.
"I did it and didn't lose anyone worth keeping. The people who want to be cheap usually have red flags come up before the price increase anyway."
— Cleaning business owner, reflecting on their first annual price increase
What the message needs to do
A good price increase message does four things: acknowledges the relationship, gives a brief honest reason, states the new price and date clearly, and reassures them on quality. That's it. Four things, three or four short paragraphs, done.
✓
Warm opener — acknowledge how long you've worked together, or simply open with their name and a friendly tone. Not corporate. Not stiff.
✓
Brief honest reason — rising costs, expanded service, team growth, equipment investment. One sentence is enough. Don't over-explain or it reads as defensive.
✓
New price and effective date — specific numbers, specific date. No ambiguity. "From 1 May, your new rate will be £X per [visit/job/month]."
✓
Reassurance — a single line confirming the service they've come to rely on remains exactly as it is. This is the sentence that keeps people.
What to do — and what kills the message
Do this
- Give 60–90 days notice
- Keep it to 3–4 short paragraphs
- State the new price clearly upfront
- Use warm, conversational language
- Send it personally, not as a mass email
- Mention cost increases briefly and move on
Avoid this
- Over-apologising throughout
- Burying the new price at the bottom
- Using corporate/formal language
- Giving less than 4 weeks notice
- Raising prices mid-job or mid-contract
- Sneak-increasing without any message at all
Templates that actually work
These are based on messages that real cleaning and trade business owners reported losing zero clients with. The tone is warm and direct — not defensive, not corporate.
Hi [Name],
I hope you're well. I wanted to give you plenty of notice about a change coming up.
From [date — at least 8 weeks away], my pricing will be adjusting to [new price] per [visit/job/month]. Like a lot of businesses, I've seen costs increase across the board over the past year — equipment, materials, and running costs — and this brings my pricing in line with what it takes to keep delivering the same quality service.
Everything else stays exactly as it is. Same day, same standard, same me on the tools.
Thanks for being such a reliable client — I really do value working with you, and I hope this change makes sense. If you have any questions, just give me a shout.
[Your name]
This template has consistently retained long-term clients. The key: warm, brief, no grovelling, clear date, one reassurance line.
Hi [Name], just wanted to give you heads-up — from [date] my rate will be moving to [new price]. Costs have gone up across the board and this keeps things sustainable on my end. Nothing else changing — same service, same reliability. Let me know if you have any questions. Cheers, [Your name]
For clients you have a casual texting relationship with. Short, honest, no drama.
"Our pricing is reviewed annually in line with operating cost changes. We'll always give you at least 60 days notice of any adjustment."
Building this into your agreements from the start removes the awkwardness entirely for future increases — it becomes an expected part of the relationship, not a surprise.
How to time it
The ideal window to raise prices is when your client is satisfied, your schedule is full, and costs have demonstrably increased. For most trade businesses, that points to early in the calendar year (January/February effective date) or at the start of a new season.
The practical rule of thumb: Raise prices by 3–5% annually and you'll rarely lose anyone — the increase is small enough that it barely registers. Wait 3 years without raising prices and you'll face a jump that feels jarring to both you and the client. Small and regular beats large and infrequent every time.
If your costs have genuinely increased significantly — materials up, fuel up, wages up — a larger increase is justified and clients generally understand it. Being direct about that is more effective than being vague. "Fuel and material costs have gone up significantly this year" is a reason. "Increased business costs" is not.
Gradual increases vs annual jumps
Both strategies work — and which one you choose depends on your relationship with each client.
For newer clients or those on shorter contracts, a clean annual increase communicated clearly is the simplest approach. For very long-term clients where the relationship is strong, some business owners prefer to increase gradually across two years rather than in a single jump — particularly when making up for a long period without any increase.
Either way, the message follows the same formula. The number changes, not the approach.
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Common questions about raising prices
How do you tell long-term clients you're raising prices?
Give at least 2 months notice, keep the message warm and brief, explain the reason simply without over-apologising, and remind them what they're getting. Loyal clients who've been with you for years almost always stay — especially if you communicate with respect and give them enough time to adjust.
How much notice should you give clients before a price increase?
At minimum 30 days — most trade business owners recommend 60 to 90 days for long-term clients. The more notice you give, the more it signals respect for the relationship rather than a surprise extraction. Two months is the sweet spot for most service businesses.
Will I lose clients if I raise my prices?
Some clients may leave — but research consistently shows that clients who leave over small, reasonable price increases were often not ideal clients to begin with. Most loyal, long-term clients accept a well-communicated increase. The ones who leave over a 5–10% change were often already looking for a reason to reduce costs.
What's the best way to word a price increase message?
Warm opener acknowledging the relationship. Brief honest reason. The new price and effective date. A reassurance that service quality remains. No over-apologising. No corporate language. Keep it to 3–4 short paragraphs. The template in this guide has retained clients for dozens of cleaning and trade business owners who've used it.
How often should a trade business raise prices?
Annual or every 18 months is considered best practice — smaller, regular increases of 3–5% are far easier for clients to absorb than one large jump after years of frozen pricing. Building price reviews into your contracts removes the awkwardness entirely by making it an expected part of the relationship.
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