Fractional Resources

“A price is something you get. A cost is something you lose.”
— Lois McMaster Bujold, Shards of Honor

When a sci-fi writer nails business basics, pay attention.

Here’s the deal:

• Cost: What you’re losing. Time, energy, resources, opportunities.
• Price: What you’re gaining.

Sounds obvious? You’d be surprised how many get this wrong.

Here’s my hill to die on: RATE IS NOT PRICE.

99.9% of the time, your rate is just your cost in disguise. You’re not pricing, you’re costing.

So here’s what you do:

1. Figure out your real costs (that’s what YOU are putting into this specific client)
2. Understand what your work is worth to the client
3. Price based on value and risk, not hours logged

Your cost helps you understand the risk involved in delivering an outcome. But your price? That’s about the value you’re creating.

Bottom line: You’re not selling time slices. You’re selling outcomes, expertise, and peace of mind. Price accordingly, or you might fail to build a sustainable business.

Want to dive deeper? Let’s grab a virtual coffee.