New Year, New Prices: How Raising Your Rates Protects Your Business, Your Energy, and Your Future
- Tori Lynn Crowther
- Dec 30, 2024
- 5 min read
New Year, New Prices: How Raising Your Rates Protects Your Business, Your Energy, and Your Future
January has a habit of shining an unflattering spotlight on reality.
The dark mornings feel darker. The rain feels heavier. And suddenly, the numbers in your business don’t quite add up the way they used to.
For dog walkers, January is not just a reset of calendars and routines — it is the most strategic time of year to review pricing. Yet it is also the time when many quietly promise themselves: “I’ll deal with that later.”
Later, of course, becomes never.
So let’s address the elephant in the muddy field: raising your prices is not a moral failing. It is not greed. It is not disloyalty. It is one of the most responsible decisions you can make as a professional service provider.
Why Dog Walkers Stay Underpriced (and Why It’s So Dangerous)
Most dog walkers know, deep down, that they should be charging more. The hesitation rarely comes from numbers — it comes from emotion.
Common blockers include:
Guilt: “These clients trusted me when I was starting out.”
Fear: “If I raise prices, I’ll lose people.”
Comparison: “Another walker nearby charges less — how can I justify more?”
Identity: “I don’t want to be seen as ‘money-focused’.”
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: If your prices haven’t moved in the last 12–24 months, your real income has gone backwards.
Fuel, insurance, equipment, training, tax, software, repairs, and living costs have all risen. Your experience has grown. Your judgement is sharper. Your responsibility has increased.
Yet many dog walkers are still charging as though nothing has changed.
Being fully booked does not mean you are profitable. Busy does not mean sustainable.
Why January Is the Best Time to Raise Prices (and Clients Expect It)
From a business psychology perspective, January is ideal:
Clients are mentally prepared for “new year updates”
Price changes feel planned rather than reactive
It aligns with inflation, insurance renewals, and annual reviews
It avoids the shock of an unexpected mid-year increase
A January increase signals structure, professionalism, and confidence. A random price rise in July feels apologetic and uncomfortable. Timing matters.
My VAT Wake-Up Call: The Real Cost of Undercharging
Many dog walkers only confront pricing properly when VAT enters the conversation.
When I hit the VAT threshold, panic set in. My instinct was not “raise prices” — it was “absorb the cost and hope for the best”.
I was advised to simply close for a day each week to stay under the threshold.
That advice may work for retail. It does not work for a service business with:
Staff
Contracts
Dogs that still need walking
Clients who rely on routine
So I stayed open. I registered for VAT. And I didn’t raise prices.
The result? Cash flow tightened immediately. Profit vanished. Stress skyrocketed.
Worse still, when I eventually told clients I was VAT registered but wouldn’t be increasing prices, some quietly left anyway. No complaints. No conversations. Just gone.
I ended up with fewer clients, less income, and VAT obligations regardless.
Undercharging didn’t protect me — it nearly broke me.
How Much Notice Should You Give?
This is where many people get it wrong.
Best practice is:
A minimum of 4–8 weeks’ written notice
Clear effective date
Calm, factual language
No last-minute texts or verbal mentions
Price changes should be communicated as a business update, not a personal confession.
Predictability builds trust. Surprises damage it.
How to Calculate a Price That Actually Works
Stop looking sideways at other dog walkers. Their numbers are irrelevant to your business.
Instead, calculate from reality:
1. Your True Hourly Rate
Not “per walk” — per hour, after:
Travel
Admin
Cancellations
Staff management
Unpaid time
Many walkers are shocked when they do this honestly.
2. Your Fixed and Variable Costs
Include:
Fuel and vehicle wear
Insurance and licences
Equipment replacement
Training and CPD
Software and bookkeeping
Tax and VAT exposure
3. Your Capacity
If you are full and cannot take on more work, your prices are too low. Scarcity increases value — whether you like it or not.
If the final number feels uncomfortable, that is usually because it is accurate.
Communicating a Price Increase Without Apologising
This is not a negotiation.
Strong communication is:
Clear
Neutral
Brief
Confident
You are informing clients of a business decision, not asking permission or seeking reassurance.
Avoid:
Over-explaining
Emotional language
Long justifications
“I hope you understand…”
Professional services update prices. Full stop.
What Happens Next (and Why It’s Not a Problem)
You will see three responses:
Immediate acceptance
A few questions
A small number of departures
This is normal. Healthy, even.
If losing one client destabilises your business, the issue was not the price rise — it was the pricing structure.
Higher prices with slightly fewer clients often result in:
Better profit
Less burnout
More time per dog
Higher-quality clients
Why Competing on Price Is a Race You Cannot Win
The cheapest dog walker is always replaceable.
Low pricing often means:
No contingency planning
Minimal insurance
Little training
Unsustainable workload
Many undercutters will:
Burn out
Raise prices later
Leave the industry entirely
Do not anchor your worth to someone else’s short-term survival tactic.
Your experience, reliability, judgement, and responsibility are not commodities.
Final Word: Raising Prices Is a Leadership Decision
Raising your rates does not mean:
You care less
You are abandoning loyalty
You have “changed”
It means:
You intend to stay in business
You respect your time and energy
You are building something sustainable
The dogs still get the same care. The clients still get the same reliability. The difference is that you can afford to continue.
New year. New prices. Same professionalism — finally priced properly.
See the download below for price rise templates for you to use and abuse. Feel free to keep the wording exactly the same or change it if you wish.
About Tori Lynn C. & The Dog House
Welcome to The Dog House — my cosy corner of the TLC Canine Crusaders Business Hub. I’m Tori Lynn C., the founder of TLC Dog Walking Limited, mentor to professional dog walkers, and lifelong advocate for dogs and the people who care for them. With over 17 years of hands-on experience in the industry, my mission is to guide you through the realities of running a successful, sustainable dog walking business — from client care and safety to wellbeing, confidence, and professional growth.
The Dog House is where I share the honest, behind-the-scenes conversations we all need: the tricky moments, the funny bits, the business lessons, and the mindset work that keeps us thriving rather than merely surviving. Whether you're just starting out or scaling up, you’ll always find support, guidance, and a friendly nudge forward here.
You’re never alone in this journey — you’re part of a community of canine crusaders.
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