They are sort of lookalike dollars that contribute real power to your life when properly used. I'll tell you how to claim your Gratitude Dollars, FREE, in just a moment.

BUT FIRST, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ‛WHY' OF GRATITUDE DOLLARS.

You've probably heard that in order to get more in life you need to be thankful for what you already have. I can hear my mother now, "What'a mean you don't like your shoes? The world is full of kids who don't have shoes. Be grateful. Otherwise you may never get another pair."

We've heard this ‛be thankful' law so much it's like, "Okay, tomorrow I'll start really being thankful. But today I'm busy." Consequently we shut door in face of a lot of prosperity.

DO YOU HAVE SOME NEEDS IN YOUR LIFE?

What if you found out that many of your needs could be met by simply going to top of Empire State Building in New York City and spitting into wind with your fingers crossed. Would you do it? Darn straight you would!

The gratitude program I'm going to outline doesn't require either expense or time of a New York trip. In fact, it's free with no strings. Plus I absolutely guarantee it can start exploding your prosperity.

BEGIN BY WITHDRAWING YOUR GRATITUDE DOLLARS FROM MY WEB SITE

Remember, these dollars are free...now and always. And you won't be added to a mailing list. In fact, I won't even know if or when you visit, withdraw your dollars and disappear. Unless, of course, you stop to subscribe to my free ezine, THE EMPOWERED MATURITY PAGE.

Here's how to obtain your dollars. Go to my web site, http://www.dougcgrant.com. Click Site Map listed in left-hand panel. Scan down list of pages to ‛Gratitude Dollars'. Click this link and dollars are yours.

These dollars are in form of a PDF file (Acrobat Reader). The file consists of five Gratitude Dollars ready for printing. I recommend that you print out at least three pages giving you a total of fifteen dollars. Cut them apart and you're ready to begin getting thankful.

HERE'S HOW TO ADD POWER TO YOUR DOLLARS

Use in opt-in publications, or on Web sites, but please include resource box. If you could send a copy to me at email address: mailto:ab@digital-e.biz , I appreciate it. Many thanks. **

Summary: Price takers and price makers. Are you charging what you're worth, or does pricing your small business services and products make you nervous?

Total words: 700

Category: Small Business

It's About More Than Money: are you charging what you're worth?

Copyright (c) 2002 by Angela Booth

Last April I had a surreal experience with a popular women's magazine I used to write for.

An editorial assistant emailed me: "Sorry about not getting back to you sooner about article X. We'd like to publish it. What are your rates?"

My eyes lit up. "Money. You beauty," I thought. I may have chortled aloud. Possibly I danced a jig around my crowded office.

Unseemly glee, you think. You're right. I remembered that check hadn't cleared bank and focused on task at hand. Negotiation.

I hit Reply button.

Then my fingertips stilled on keyboard. Eh? What did she mean, what are my rates? They know what my rates are. My rates are exactly same as they've been since 1995. Or 1992. They're what this publishing conglomerate pays. They're standard across all magazines they own. They're going up, editors promise. Next month. Next year. When hell freezes over.

What heck. I typed happily, already deciding what I could buy with money. Printer cartridges. Dog worming tablets. Maybe a new pair of jeans, even. "Your usual rates are fine. You paid me $X for 800 word Christmas article."

So a week later assistant emails me to say they're not publishing piece. They can't afford my rates.

Well praise lord and pass ammunition. The rates aren't going up. They're going down.

That day I decided that I was out of magazine writing business.

In magazine writing business, I was a price taker. I decided to saddle up for happy hunting ground of copywriting, where I was a price maker.

=> Charging what you're worth