SMALL BUSINESS PRICING + PROFIT GUIDES

Answers to the money questions owners usually have to figure out alone.

Plain-English explanations for pricing work, calculating capacity and overhead, understanding markup, and finding out why a busy business may still feel short on cash.

01 • Pricing

How to Price a Job

A practical pricing method using direct costs, productive hours, overhead, owner pay and profit.

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02 • Hourly rate

How Much Should I Charge Per Hour?

Estimate a self-employed hourly target from realistic productive capacity.

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03 • Labor

How to Calculate a Labor Rate

Understand wage, loaded labor cost, selling rate and required contribution.

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04 • Overhead

How to Calculate Overhead

Separate recurring overhead from direct job costs and spread it across capacity.

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05 • Profit

Busy but Not Making Money?

Find the common profit leaks that can hide inside a full schedule.

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06 • Materials

How Much Should I Mark Up Materials?

Understand markup, margin, handling, risk and whole-job contribution.

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07 • Profit

How Much Profit Should a Small Business Make?

Separate owner pay from business profit and choose a planning cushion.

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TRADE-SPECIFIC PRICING

Pricing examples by type of business

How to Price a Painting Job • How to Price Cleaning Services • How to Price Landscaping Jobs • Handyman: Hourly vs Flat Rate

USE YOUR OWN NUMBERS

Reading helps. Your own numbers help more.

After you understand the concept, use the free JJL Profit Checkup to estimate the productive-hour contribution your business needs.

Run the free checkup
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