One of the most common questions when starting your embroidery digitizing business is:
How much should I charge for my services?
You get excited, crunch some numbers, launch your business…
But when the first client asks for your price, you freeze and don’t know what to say.
In this post, I’ll walk you through a clear and practical method to figure it out—no matter what country or currency you’re working with.
Why Don’t We Know How to Price Our Work?
Many embroidery entrepreneurs go through this:
- They have the idea
- They have the skills
- They have the motivation
But when it’s time to put a price on their service, they go blank.
It’s not unusual—pricing is both a technical and emotional decision.
Step 1: Research What the Market Is Already Charging
Imagine you’re starting your embroidery digitizing business in another country. Where would you begin?
The first thing I’d do is research how much other digitizers are charging for the services I want to offer.
This is crucial because clients are already used to a certain price range.
If you come in too high and no one knows you, it’ll be hard to make a sale.
If you go too low, you might trigger a price war with competitors—and that hurts the whole market.
Step 2: Match the Market Price and Test It
My recommendation is to start by matching the going rate in your area or niche.
Then test it for a month:
- Offer your service to as many clients as you can
- Track all your income and expenses (in a notebook, Excel, or an app)
- At the end of the month, review your numbers:
Does that price cover your time, business expenses, and still give you profit?
Step 3: Not Profitable? Adjust Carefully
If the numbers don’t add up, your first instinct might be to raise your prices.
But here’s a common mistake: You can’t raise your prices if the client doesn’t perceive added value.
Real Example:
I once went to a shopping mall with my wife.
I ordered an overpriced “VIP” burger… and it tasted like nothing.
She ordered some simple shrimp… and they were amazing!
The result: I felt the shrimp were worth more, even though they were cheaper.
The burger felt like a scam.
Lesson: If you want to charge more, make sure the customer feels what they’re getting is worth it—or even exceeds expectations.
Step 4: Create a Client Experience They’ll Want to Repeat
Think about the last time you got such great service that you said, “I’d definitely come back and recommend this place.”
That’s how your clients should feel.
It’s not enough to just deliver a file—you have to provide:
- High-quality digitizing
- Clear and professional communication
- On-time delivery
- Attention to detail
When you offer that kind of experience, clients are much more willing to pay higher rates—and they won’t complain.
Step 5: Increase Your Income Without Raising Prices
If you’re already offering great service and quality but your profit margin is still low, don’t panic.
You don’t always need more clients—you can offer more value to the same client.
Add-on Services You Can Offer:
- Folded and professionally packaged garments
- Custom labels or tags
- Gift-ready packaging or branded kits
These extras can be charged separately and boost your revenue without requiring more work volume.
Step 6: Offer Unique Services Your Competition Doesn’t
A powerful way to stand out (and charge more) is to offer something that very few others do.
For example: embroidered portraits based on photographs.
They’re highly valued, hard to find, and can sell for $200 to $300 USD per piece.
Conclusion: Pricing Is a Skill You Can Learn
Setting prices for embroidery digitizing services isn’t about guessing.
It requires market research, financial analysis, and creating real value for your clients.
Key Takeaways:
- Research the going market rates
- Test your price to see if it’s profitable
- Don’t raise prices without adding value
- Add complementary services
- Stand out with unique offerings
If you apply these steps, you won’t just charge the right price—you’ll make your client feel every cent was worth it. And that’s priceless.
