You Get What You Pay For: The Hidden Price of Cutting Corners
We’ve all heard the saying “You get what you pay for,” and it couldn’t be more true. Whether in business, everyday life, or as consumers, cutting corners often leads to bigger costs down the road. For small business owners especially, times are challenging, and every dollar matters.
Pause and consider the following:
Taking a thoughtful, long-term approach to buying decisions isn’t just smart — it’s essential. Investing wisely today can save you from hidden expenses, wasted time, and missed opportunities tomorrow.
This is always an interesting conversation to have with business owners in creative fields similar to mine. We have all struggled at one time or another with pricing ourselves competitively and, as a result, sometimes walking away from opportunities when potential clients do not recognize our value.
As business owners, we all want to grow and earn a living. However, there are times when someone comes along who does not see the value in what you offer or believes they know a better way to achieve the results they want. I have experienced this many times, especially on the freelance platform I use to find occasional projects. It can be difficult to walk away from potential income, but sometimes it is necessary to protect your peace in a world where not everyone values the human side of working with someone and recognizing that you are more than just paid help.
My accountant once told me something that has really stuck with me: there is “good money” and there is “bad money.” By this, she meant that there are paying clients who truly see the value in your work, and both of you feel good about the exchange. That is your “good money,” and it is where you want to spend the majority of your time.
On the other hand, there is “bad money”—clients who do not see the value in what you do, demand more from you for less, and push boundaries because they either don’t understand your worth or simply don’t care. They want as much as they can get for as little investment as possible. Some might call this smart business sense on their end, but I see it differently. In my view, it creates a negative ecosystem and shortchanges those supporting your business by offering a service thus limiting growth opportunities because you are treating people poorly along the way. In other words, it’s bad karma.
I will use brand and web design as an example, but I know that other creatives experience this same pattern of consumer behavior and face similar challenges in their businesses. Most of us can also relate as consumers of everyday goods and services. Can you go to the cheapest car wash on the corner and get a quick rinse? Absolutely. But does the one a few doors down with better equipment and more attention to detail provide a cleaner result for just a few dollars more? Yes, it often does.
The same idea applies to clothing and shoes. Can you buy an inexpensive knockoff online for a fraction of the cost? Of course. There are countless dupes available in today’s market. But have you ever considered the cost per wear or the environmental impact of fast fashion? Maybe not. Should you? I believe so. It is something I have come to appreciate over time after learning some hard lessons. My philosophy now is simple: spend wisely and wear longer.
Back in my world of web design and branding, it’s important to first acknowledge that everyone has a budget, and in many cases, sticking to it is essential to avoid stretching too thin. I fully support that, and I also recognize that my level of detail is not for everyone.
However, if you are investing in your brand and business, and your website and branding are the primary ways people find you, can you really afford to cut corners? The simple answer is no. You can certainly hire an offshore web designer to create a basic website for less than $1,000. You might even find someone just starting out, building a portfolio, willing to take on your project for far less. Occasionally, you may get lucky and find someone who is both skilled and motivated to go above and beyond as one of their first clients. I know this firsthand because I was that designer on Upwork, taking on projects for minimal payment to build my portfolio.
From my experience, what sets me apart is my understanding of small business. I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs, studied business, worked in a large corporate setting, and have supported clients ranging from small business owners to larger corporations with a variety of needs—experience that informs how I approach pricing and the value I provide.
At the end of the day, your investment in website design and branding should deliver a return. Design goes far beyond making something look pretty. It includes SEO strategies, user experience, the customer journey, and even how you manage the client experience on the other side of the screen. These considerations are all part of my thought process and strategy when designing a website. Not every designer takes this consultative approach, and that’s fine if you already understand the fundamentals of good design and can guide someone through execution. But most business owners do not have the time to manage a web design strategy themselves.
This is where hiring a designer who can guide you through the process and deliver an end result you can confidently run with and grow may be worth its weight in gold. It’s also important to note that brand and web design is not an “if you build it, they will come” scenario. A business must use other marketing channels to attract the right clients. However, when executed properly, an investment in an upgraded website that reflects your current offerings and speaks to your target audience should generate new growth opportunities and eventually pay for itself.
This is why pricing a brand and website design is more about the process, consultative approach, and overall value rather than simply billing by the hour. The same principle applies across many creative industries, from photographers to florists. At the end of the day, the experience and final result you receive will reflect what you pay for. The real question becomes: where can you afford to cut corners, and when is it worth investing in a higher-value outcome?
If you are in a position where your brand identity and website design no longer align with your offer, I would love to connect and see if I can be of assistance to help you level up!
