How do you put value on what you do? This is one of the top questions I am asked as a business coach. I believe strongly in developing a business plan. I don't care how sophisticated you think you are or your business is, a business plan demonstrates, in black and white, your expenses and therefore what you MUST charge for your work. The majority of women I work with under value their work for their clients. Although you have spent years perfecting your craft or expertise, you still believe you don't deserve the BIG BUCKS! Get over it! You deserve to be paid a fair price for what you contribute to your clients and their business. Most women entrepreneurs dive in many years after they have finished school and applied their talents at other corporations. They have put in the time to charge at the highest level for their expertise -- yet, for whatever reason, they feel uncomfortable telling those that want to hire them that they are worthy. Let me share my own story, as it changed my life early in my career. In 1990, I was 39 years old. A very good client of mine was impressed by my work and wanted to hire me to do work for him on the side. He asked me to come and meet with him. I had a full time job making a pretty good living at about $65,000 per year. He wanted me to work part time to advise him on marketing. I went to the meeting wondering how this could possibly work. He told me how impressed he was with my talents and how much he would appreciate my ability as an advisor to his marketing team. Then he asked me, "What would you charge to work with our company monthly to advise us on our marketing/pr program?" There it was an opportunity to really take on the world and show myself to be the true entrepreneur I knew I could be. I quickly assessed the situation and thought, "would he think $500 per month would be asking too much, or maybe $100 per month since I was already in a 40+ hour a week job?" All this was going in my head when he looked at me with those intense eyes and said, "What do you think, could you help us out at $5000 per month?" I couldn't believe my ears. He wanted to pay me almost more than I was making now full time just to have me available to his team to provide my opinion on their marketing materials. I swallowed hard and said, "Yes, I think that would be fair." To this day I wonder what color my face was and how I managed to keep a straight face and accept his offer. I learned a very important lesson that day. NEVER under value your talents. NEVER under estinmate how others see you. You have worked hard and you deserve to be paid fairly for your work. So, this week's tip is to do your best to look outside yourself and ask yourself if you are truly being paid for your experience, talents and all you do for your clients. I promise you, no one will ever walk up to you and demand to pay you more..you need to make that demand of yourself. You are worth it. Now go out and price the contribution you make in the business world at a number that makes you feel a chill. That's the only way you'll know you've priced yourself right.