Advice on readings

I enjoy doing these readings and from time to time, think that I would like to do more, but am not sure how to value them, or even if there is a demand for this type of reading.

Do you mean how much to charge?

xxx

Do you mean how much to charge?

xxx

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When I last did a reading, it was effectively a request from a stranger. I said that I didn't feel able to charge, as I was out of practice, but that I would be happy to accept a donation to the fund raising pot for my son's gap year. And that is what happened.

I did the reading and the person who had asked for it was very happy with it. But to me, it didn't feel as if I'd given much significant information, in fact, it can often be summed up in less than three sentences.

I do think that spiritual guidance is often that simple, yet to do it properly, I need at least an hour, which is worth at least £40.00.

So, when people come for readings - I'm thinking: £40.00 for three sentences? Yet, I know that people have been appreciative and grateful and I would like to do more on a more professional footing.

It's quite possibly one of those things where I don't value what comes easily to me.

Why do you think an hour is worth at least £40.00? Minimum wage is £6.08 If you think of it like a job then £40 is way OTT. You have to decide what you want to do. If you go professional then you will have costs, websites, hosting, insurance, heating, lighting etc and that all adds to the charge.

But if the cost is just because it takes you an hour to do one reading, which you say gives only three sentences of worth, then you may have to re-think what you are actually doing right, and wrong.

Once you charge, people will become picky, not so acceptant, they may argue, complain, want a refund, be ticked off that they only get a small amount of good information, they may threaten to sue or get a solicitor, they may bad mouth you.. You may get the serial seekers, the stalkers, those that will not leave you alone and become dependant on readings, those that need psychiatirc help or counselling. It then has to become a business with each reading dealt with professionally according to your business policy.

The amount to charge is just one aspect. Forget how long it takes you when working that out and try to shorten it to give more information. What one person happily accepts for free or happily donates for can be a whole lot different from what they will happily pay for.

Thank you, Cascara, for taking the time to reply to my post. You are a reader?

Why do you think an hour is worth at least £40.00? Minimum wage is £6.08 If you think of it like a job then £40 is way OTT. .

Well, my hour is worth at least £40.00.

I'm not sure that it's entirely appropriate to make a comparison to the minimum wage - the minimum wage is for basic unskilled labour. I would consider that giving a reading is a service and in a completely different league. If I was to value myself at that level, I would be underselling myself massively.

You have to decide what you want to do. If you go professional then you will have costs, websites, hosting, insurance, heating, lighting etc and that all adds to the charge ..

That's true.

But if the cost is just because it takes you an hour to do one reading, which you say gives only three sentences of worth, then you may have to re-think what you are actually doing right, and wrong..

Yes, you have a good point.

Once you charge, people will become picky, not so acceptant, they may argue, complain, want a refund, be ticked off that they only get a small amount of good information, they may threaten to sue or get a solicitor, they may bad mouth you.. You may get the serial seekers, the stalkers, those that will not leave you alone and become dependant on readings, those that need psychiatirc help or counselling. It then has to become a business with each reading dealt with professionally according to your business policy..

This is largely what I'm wary of. A high fee will probably filter a lot of that out.

The amount to charge is just one aspect. Forget how long it takes you when working that out and try to shorten it to give more information. What one person happily accepts for free or happily donates for can be a whole lot different from what they will happily pay for.

Yes, that's true.

Thank you for helping me to think - and, although you probably didn't intend it, for making me feel more comfortable with charging £40.00

Alison

Hi Alison

I charge €50 for readings which I think works out around the same as you charge. Hope this helps.

Hi Alison

I charge €50 for readings which I think works out around the same as you charge. Hope this helps.

Thank you for replying, Butterflywings.

Do you mind me asking what kind of readings you do?

[COLOR="Indigo"]Are you reading face to face Alison? If so and presuming you are good at what you do ... I don't think £40.00 is overly expensive. Many Tarot readers/psychics around here are charging £20.00 for a twenty minute reading.

That said, whether people will pay you £40.00, depends on what you deliver 🙂

But good luck.

Hi Alison,

I actually think £40 is very reasonable, possibly even slightly cheap in comparison to some although it is hard to say without knowing the structure of your readings (you say you only give around 3 sentences?).

You are right to charge whatever you feel your time is worth, as I totally agree - it is a skill and your time is precious.

Why not have a look around at what others are charging?

For example, [url]Psychic Readings, Psychic Phone Reading, Psychic Mediums, Psychic Hotline and Psychic Tarot Reading from Wishing Moon[/url] are charging £32.95 for 20 minutes, and that is for a telephone reading!! (I assume you are reading face to face)

[url]This lady[/url] is charging £15 for an hours 'spiritual life coaching' and £60 for an hours mixed reading package (described as a full reading with angelic guidance and questions of choice..)

I found these typing in psychic reading (area). Why not Google the same for your local area?

Hope this helps, but ultimately, only you know what your time is worth 🙂

Thank you for replying, Butterflywings.

Do you mind me asking what kind of readings you do?

I do face to face and recorded distance readings working with people's Spirit Guides. These readings take 45 mins to an hour usually although in person it can be longer depending on what is being asked.

I also do Auragraph Readings but these take ages, involve materials and I send them by post. I change €75 for these including postage.

I do face to face and recorded distance readings working with people's Spirit Guides.

I don't want to go too off-topic, but since there's a discussion of spirit guides on the 'spirituality' forum, I thought I'd ask - do you mean by this that you believe everyone has a spirit guide?

Are you reading face to face Alison? If so and presuming you are good at what you do ... I don't think £40.00 is overly expensive. Many Tarot readers/psychics around here are charging £20.00 for a twenty minute reading.

That said, whether people will pay you £40.00, depends on what you deliver 🙂

But good luck.

Thank you, Tarot Woman.

No, not face to face - I get really distracted in the presence of people.

Previously I have asked people who want a reading to think very carefully about the matter that they want some insight into, and then to phrase the question carefully. After they have done this, they contact me to say they are ready and I do a meditation on the question. I prefer not to know what the question is and I think that when they have thought about it, it's a much clearer reading.

I enjoy the whole process - am not sure that twenty minute face to face readings would be the way that I would want to go.

I do face to face and recorded distance readings working with people's Spirit Guides. These readings take 45 mins to an hour usually although in person it can be longer depending on what is being asked.

I also do Auragraph Readings but these take ages, involve materials and I send them by post. I change €75 for these including postage.

Thank you for answering Butterflywings - and now I need to do a google search to find out what auragraph readings are!

Alison

I work as a therapist so can sort of understand a lot of what you say. You cannot compare it to getting so much an hour elsewhere, the people who do that are not allowing strangers into their home, nor are they sitting at home hoping they turn up. Nor are they taking the risks you would take. And when you charge properly you weed out most of the people who would come if you were free or very cheap. Some will only come to you if you are free or cheap and go all over seeing as many free and cheap ones as they can. Others will be picky and prefer one good one to loads of lousy ones. Many will think you are sitting there all day hoping they want to come and get annoyed if you cannot see them when it suits them or think they can ring you at 9 pm to come that day. They get anxious or have no patience and think that as they are offering you money you should be grateful. I work by appointments only. But have been doing therapy a long time. When people ring me and TELL ME they are coming tonight or sunday I say no, no can do. Most of them are like this. I find its best to have set hours where you put time down in your diary for this and time for that and never let this take over the rest. You could easily let a person get you to cancel a meeting with a friend or whatever, and then they dont turn up.
You will also get people expecting you to travel to them. I find this ridiculous cause they never expect to pay more for your petrol or travelling time - and it is dangerous too. Something else to watch out for
is the payment, I get clients to pay before they come on my website, this idea they can turn up if they feel like it and pay at the end of the thing if they want is all one sided. After all you would not know their address etc, and it would be very time consuming and costly to chase it up.
Beware of those who want to become a "friend". They really mean they want to get free consultations and also beware of those who just turn up thinking that when you open the door yoy will stand and chat to them for free, with no intention of ever paying again.
I help people with anxiety and depression, through counselling and hypnosis so I probably get the same proportion of unbalanced types who would latch on to me or use me as you would. You will meet very nice people but they may be few and far between.
RE you saying your hour is worth £40. Not sure where that comes from. Sure it is worth more than it would be if you worked on the check out at tesco because there you are not allowing them into your home, taking risks, and you get holiday pay and sick pay, you also have no expenses like advertising.
But £40 seems rather steep. Where else an you earn that? I gave up being a solicitor on £500 an hour plus vat to be a therapist at £50, and even then people moan and groan, yet I am properly qualified with a lot of experience. To be honest when people go and pay £20 for a reading they dont expect it to be any good, it is just entertainment, somewhere to go, a change from the cinema etc. The really good ones would have to charge more so that they can keep the timewasters away who would go there every day and never give them any peace.
It costs a lot to get a website up and it takes a lot of time to take care of it. It can cost you thousands to pay others to do this for you if you do not knowhow to or are too busy to. Have you take this all into consideration?