Several people have shared with me ways they have increased their income. I'll share one that was particularly striking to me:

Toni J. of Tallahassee, Florida, wrote to say that she works as a paralegal in a corporate law firm. She wanted a raise, but knew she needed to justify one with more than just time served at the firm.

So she began to behave "like a lawyer—no, like a partner would." She committed to preparing her mind, her appearance and her approach to work as though she were a partner in the firm, and soon carried herself more confidently, had more in-depth conversations with the lawyers for whom she did research, and improved the company outside of her general job description. Then, when it came time to discuss her raise with her supervisor, she had evidence of additional skills as well as her newly-developed confidence to support the request.

She did get the raise and also was encouraged to consider other, higher positions. What a fabulous example of someone raising their value before asking for a raise in their income!

Which brings us to our wonderful self-employed group, of which I, of course, am a part. Since we are our own bosses, what must we do to increase our income? In the same vein as Toni's story above, I think we must first look to how we can add value to our service, then look at what raise in fees is appropriate.

Take A Minute:
How can you add value to your services?

Make A Minute:
Choose one avenue for adding value to your services, choose a corresponding raise in your rates, and put it into play immediately.

Don't be afraid to grow your income in accordance with growth in your value; never forget how much your clients benefit from that growth as well.