Small Businesses, Big Experiences: How to charge more with soul and strategy

You don’t need to lower your prices.

You need to elevate the experience.

This is one of the phrases I say most often in consulting sessions with small businesses. And almost always, it comes as a relief.

Because the truth is, so many people are tired of giving their best — and still feeling undervalued. Clients asking for discounts… unfair comparisons… competing on price alone…

But let me share a little secret with you: The problem isn’t always the price you charge.

Sometimes, it’s the way you deliver — and how the experience is perceived.

How a Holistic Therapist Became a Symbol of Premium Client Experience

I’m going to share a real case study. (The name has been changed, but the story — and the transformation — is 100% real.)

Ana is a holistic therapist.She worked with flower essences, relaxing massages, and energy alignment.She was deeply committed. She cared for her clients with love.

And yet, she kept hearing things like:“Can you do it for less?” or “So-and-so charges half your price…”

She was charging R$150 per session, leaving each one exhausted — emotionally drained — and still feeling unrecognized. That’s when she reached out to me.

What did we do together?

We didn’t change the service.We transformed the entire experience.

• We redesigned the treatment space: warmer lighting, intentional music, essential oils chosen with purpose.

• We created a gentle arrival ritual — one that prepared both body and mind for the session.

• We refined the way she communicated with clients — bringing more presence, sensitivity, and intention into every word.

• We rewrote the narrative around what she offered: it wasn’t “just” a massage — it was a moment of reconnection with one’s own energy.

• And we added subtle sensory details: warmed towels, mindful pauses, gestures that spoke without explanation.

The result?

In just two months:

• Ana started charging R$280 per session — with zero resistance

• She was invited into a high-end women’s networking group

• Clients began saying the experience was “worth every cent”

And the best part? She barely had to invest anything. It was all about intention, care, details — and presence.

Hospitality changes everything — even in solo businesses.

Hospitality isn’t just for hotels. It’s about how you make someone feel while delivering your work.

It might be a manicurist offering a moment of care — not just nail polish.

A therapist who welcomes you with presence and sensitivity.

An esthetician who pays attention to lighting and tone, not just technique.

A consultant who understands that the environment is part of the outcome.

And when the client feels that… they’re not asking for a discount. They want to come back. Recommend. Invest.

You don’t have to be big to be unforgettable.

You just have to understand that your service is an experience — and that experience can (and should) be intentional.

Every detail can become a memory .Every gesture, a signature.

If you’d like to build that kind of experience — with care and intention — just write to me: experience@laenecarvalho.com

Because value isn’t measured by price alone. It’s measured by what someone feels.