Is Hourly the Best Way to Charge if Service-Based Entrepreneur with ADHD
Hard truth time (said with kindness because I’m here to help)! Hourly pricing is almost never the best fit for an ADHD entrepreneur. It feels simple. It feels straightforward. It feels like the least scary option because you only charge for the time you spend. It’s easy for your clients to understand. But hourly pricing is also one of the fastest ways to overwork, under earn, and quietly burn yourself out without even realizing it.
If you haven’t yet, I encourage you to check out my last blog that helps you answer the question, should you increase your prices. But if you already know you should and are ready to rethink how you charge, keep reading. There are so many different ways that you can set up and charge for your services, which can feel overwhelming but I’m here to help you narrow it down to what is best for you. Let’s walk through the real pros and cons of hourly pricing along with the models that usually work much better for your brain and your business.
Before we dive in I want to make this clear. You are not doing anything wrong. You are not behind. And you are not the only one who has struggled to find a pricing structure that feels good (from someone who has tried it all). ADHD brains often end up on the hourly hamster wheel because it looks safer. But safer does not mean sustainable.
It’s time to think about which model actually supports your income, your focus, and your energy.
Why hourly pricing feels comfortable but works against you
At first, hourly pricing seems like the most logical choice. You literally get paid for the time you work. That sounds fair. But the reality of ADHD means hourly pricing usually becomes a trap for many reasons.
Here is why.
Time blindness and hourly pricing do not mix
If you struggle to estimate how long something will take, hourly pricing becomes a constant gamble, especially if you have clients looking for estimates. You either undercharge because you f*cked up with tracking your hours and you’re guessing or because your estimate was way off and you don’t want to charge for your actual time because you’re worried it will make you look like a mess. Neither of these outcomes supports you.
The truth is that tracking your time is a nightmare. The more clients you have the bigger the nightmare because every time you switch tasks from on client to another, you’ve also got to remember to track it??
Hourly rewards slowness not skill
The more efficient you become the less money you make. That is the opposite of how a healthy business should works. And don’t even get me started on how your ADHD brain will come up with 100 ways to become more efficient or the power of a deadline hyper-focus. If you’re charing hourly you client is winning in a big way!
Hourly encourages scope creep
Clients start thinking “It only takes an hour” and suddenly you are adding little tasks all over the place that drain your energy without boosting your income. And they are probably tasks that you’d rather not do! But you feel like you can’t say no because the client is paying for your time.
Hourly disconnects price from value
Your clients are not paying you for sixty minutes. They are paying for the results you create and the transformation they get. Hourly pricing hides that value instead of showcasing it. It can also lead to your client thinking, ‘Why am I paying you $100/hour, I only make $30/hour'?’ This can be especially true if you are working with folks that are employees vs other entrepreneurs.
Hourly pricing is not wrong. It is just rarely the best fit for the way ADHD entrepreneurs work.
So what are your options?
There are four main pricing models that service based entrepreneurs use. Each one has strengths and weaknesses. You might use a mix depending on the type and variety of services you provide. You might switch over time. The goal here is not to find the perfect one. It is to find the one that supports your brain and your business instead of draining you.
Let us break them down.
Pricing Model One: Hourly
Pros
Easy for clients to understand
Low pressure to “perform” because you are only charging for time spent
Simple to track if you already use time tracking software
Works for tasks that are unpredictable or extremely short term
Cons
You lose money as you gain skill
Hard to budget because income is inconsistent
Time blindness makes estimating/tracking consistently nearly impossible
Encourages overwork because income is tied to hours worked
Creates guilt when something takes longer
Best for
Emergency work. Admin support. Very short term clean up tasks.
Worst for
Any ongoing service. Anything requiring strategy. Creative work. Coaching. Done for you work where efficiency is part of your skill.
Quick Win Tip
Track a full week of your actual working time and compare it to your billable time. Most ADHD entrepreneurs discover they are giving away hours without realizing it. Awareness alone can lead to immediate positive change.
Pricing Model Two: Project Based
This is where you charge one set price for an entire project. Think branding packages, website builds, audits, or organising sessions.
Pros
Predictable income per project
Removes the time pressure
Lets you showcase value instead of hours
Helps clients commit because they know the price upfront
Encourages clarity and boundaries
Cons
You must clearly define what is included
Scope creep can happen if you are not firm
You need good estimation skills or you risk underpricing
Larger projects require strong energy management
Can lead to constant polishing to perfect a project
Best for
Structured work with clear outcomes and timelines. Creative or strategic deliverables. Anything with defined start and end points.
Worst for
Open ended services where every client needs a different level of support.
Quick Win Tip
Create a simple project checklist that outlines exactly what is included. This reduces anxiety for both you and the client and prevents you from adding ten extra tasks because you feel bad.
Pricing Model Three: Packages
Packages combine services into a set container such as three sessions, a monthly bundle of tasks, or a structured workflow. Packages are incredibly ADHD friendly because they offer clarity, boundaries, and predictable revenue.
Pros
Easier to sell because clients understand the journey
Predictable income for each client
Helps prevent scope creep
Aligns price with transformation rather than time
Encourages repeat purchases
Cons
You need to know what outcomes you can deliver
Packaging requires clarity which can feel intimidating at first
You may need to adjust packages as your skills grow
Best for
Coaching. Done for you work with repeatable steps. Monthly systems support. Creative services. Anything that improves with consistency.
Worst for
Services where every single client needs an entirely custom experience.
Quick Win Tip
Take your most common tasks or sessions and group them into a three tier package system. This helps clients choose the level that fits them and increases your average income per client.
Pricing Model Four: Monthly or Retainer Based
This model involves clients paying a set monthly fee for ongoing work or access to your support. It is one of the most stable pricing models for ADHD entrepreneurs because it spreads out income and removes sales roller coasters.
Pros
Predictable monthly income
Creates long term client relationships, which can improve their results
Supports stability and reduces financial anxiety
Helps with planning and energy management
Provides a calmer business rhythm
Cons
Requires strong boundaries so you do not overdeliver
Clients may misunderstand what is included if you do not communicate clearly
You must be consistent
You need to track your capacity so you do not oversell
Best for
Ongoing support. Social media management. Admin work. Coaching. Operations. Anything where clients benefit from consistency.
Worst for
One off services that are better suited to project pricing.
Quick Win Tip
Before offering a retainer, outline three things. What is included. What is not included. How communication works. This protects your time and reduces anxiety on both sides.
So what is the best choice for you
For most ADHD entrepreneurs the sweet spot is usually a mix of project pricing, packages, and monthly retainers. These models offer structure without rigidity and clear expectations without endless time tracking. They support your focus, your energy, and your ability to deliver high quality work without drowning in overwhelm.
Hourly pricing might feel comfortable because it is familiar. But familiar is not the same as supportive. You deserve a pricing model that honours your value and does not punish you for having an ADHD brain.
If you still feel unsure
Choosing a pricing structure can be overwhelming. You do not need to figure it all out alone. If this blog has brought up questions or if you want clarity on how your business and personal finances fit together, you can explore the ways we can work together on my website. Helping my clients with pricing is something I love to do, especially because we will tie it into your big business and personal financial picture.
And if you are stuck in that cycle of “Should I increase my prices or not” go back to the blog before this one. It will help you get clear on whether it is actually time to raise your rates before you pick a pricing model.
Ready for a Quick Win or Two?
Here are three simple steps you can take right now to start shifting your pricing structure without the overwhelm.
Action Step One: Decide what you want your pricing to reward
Do you want to reward skill, efficiency, transformation, or time spent?
Pick one. That answer tells you instantly which model suits you best.
Action Step Two: Track your next three client tasks
Write down how much time they take and how much you earned. This alone reveals whether hourly pricing is costing you money.
Action Step Three: Ask yourself what you want your business to feel like
If you want calm predictable income, retainer or package models will support that.
If you want variety and clear project cycles, project pricing is your match.
