How the rate increase calculator works
The math of a raise
A raise changes two variables: your rate and your volume. New annual income = new rate × kept hours × 12. The break-even churn rate is 1 − old/new — at a 15% increase you can lose 13% of your hours and still tie. Every raise negotiation is really a bet that your churn will stay under that line.
Raising rates without losing the good clients
Lead time (30–60 days), a value framing (outcomes delivered, scope grown), and a clear new figure with no apology. Grandfather selectively: the client you love at a rate you hate gets the smallest increase; the client who pays late and edits nights gets the largest. Some churn is the raise working as intended.
The cadence that avoids big scary jumps
Small annual increases (5–10%) train clients that rates move; a frozen rate for three years needs a 30% correction nobody enjoys. Put the review on your calendar like a renewal — the alternative is negotiating from resentment, which clients can smell.