Pricing Calculator Worksheet

Paper-based pricing worksheet to calculate your minimum per-client price. Includes a worked example.

BeautyKiln Document Hub - Pricing Calculator Worksheet - Free to use, no attribution required

What this is

A paper-based worksheet to calculate the minimum you need to charge per client to cover your costs, pay yourself properly and set aside enough for tax. No spreadsheet needed - just a pen and a calculator.

Step 1 - Weekly fixed costs

These costs stay the same whether you see 5 clients or 50.

Step 2 - Variable costs per client

These costs go up with every client you see.

Step 3 - How many clients per week

How many clients do you realistically see (or plan to see) in an average week?

Average clients per week: ___________ (C)

Step 4 - Your weekly variable costs total

Multiply your per-client variable cost by clients per week.

B x C = £___________ (D)

This is your total weekly variable cost.

Step 5 - What you want to take home

What weekly take-home pay do you need after tax and expenses? Be honest. Include what you need for rent/mortgage, bills, food, savings, pension, life.

Desired weekly take-home pay: £___________ (E)

Step 6 - Tax set-aside

As a self-employed person, you need to set aside money for income tax and National Insurance. A safe rule of thumb is 25-30% of your profit.

Pick your percentage: 25% / 27.5% / 30% (circle one)

Tax set-aside = E x your percentage = £___________ (F)

Example: £500 take-home x 0.30 = £150 tax set-aside

Step 7 - Weeks worked per year

You do not work 52 weeks. Account for holidays, illness, quiet periods and bank holidays.

Weeks worked per year: ___________ (G)

This does not change the weekly calculation directly, but it matters for your annual income target. If you only work 46 weeks, your 46 earning weeks need to cover all 52 weeks of living costs.

Adjusted weekly take-home = (E x 52) / G = £___________ (E2)

Use E2 instead of E for the rest of the calculation.

Step 8 - The calculation

Add up everything you need to bring in each week:

Step 9 - Minimum price per client

Divide your weekly target by your number of clients per week.

H / C = £___________

This is the minimum average price you need to charge per client.

If this number is higher than what you currently charge, you are losing money.

Worked example - Chair-renting hairdresser

Sarah rents a chair in a salon in Birmingham.

Fixed costs (weekly)

Variable costs per client

Clients per week: 22 (C)

Weekly variable total: £6.99 x 22 = £153.78 (D)

Take-home pay: £550 per week (E)

Weeks worked: 46 (G)

Adjusted take-home: (£550 x 52) / 46 = £621.74 (E2)

Tax set-aside (30%): £621.74 x 0.30 = £186.52 (F)

Weekly target:

Minimum per client: £1,136.67 / 22 = £51.67

Sarah needs to average at least £51.67 per client to hit her targets. If her average service price is £45, she is short by nearly £7 per client - which adds up to over £150 per week or nearly £7,000 per year.

What to do with this number

• If your minimum price is close to what you already charge, you are in good shape. But you have no margin for error - one quiet week and you are underwater.
• If your minimum price is lower than what you charge, well done. The gap is your profit margin, savings buffer or room to invest in your business.
• If your minimum price is higher than what you charge, you need to either raise your prices, reduce your costs, or see more clients. There is no fourth option.

How to use this template

Print this worksheet and fill it in with real numbers from your business. Do not guess - use your actual rent, actual insurance, actual product costs. If you are not sure what your average product cost per client is, track it for two weeks and then come back to this.

Run this calculation at least once a year, or whenever your costs change (rent increase, new insurance quote, product price rises). Your pricing should be based on numbers, not on what the salon down the road charges.