There are a lot of "experts" telling us how to be entrepreneurs, how to be successful, and specifically which rules to follow and what NOT to do. And lowering your prices, especially only a few weeks into a new business is definitely a HUGE no-no. It doesn't look good to make changes so soon not to mention people will wonder what's wrong with the product or service. Customers need to pay more so that they value your service or product more. They won't trust it. There's a psychology to sales - you have to make them want it.
Like a lot of things I've been doing with CASoBU - I'm going non-traditional on this attitude toward pricing. The thing is, I never wanted the scale to be $30-$65 to begin with. I was talked into it by more experienced people in business and didn't trust my gut from the start. And ever since we opened it's been an ugly, murky factor in my attitude toward the clinic.
And frankly, I personally couldn't pay $30 a week for acupuncture, at least not regularly. And regularity is one of the most important factors in using community acupuncture. It needs to be accessible on an on-going basis. It's crucial, in fact.
What's this got to do with rising against the patriarchy?
I've been in a huge amount of pain the last couple years watching the reckoning of systemic misogyny and sexual abuse boiling over in our would. In fact, it's a huge reason why I chose to start the clinic when I did. I felt so angry and so helpless I knew I had to do something. And I know how to do community acupuncture the best.
It's not like I didn't think about these horrible conditions before - but it's so in my face everywhere I look now. It's so weird, so disorienting (and so good) to hear the conversation in SO many places. But it's left me feeling strange - like all my wires got unplugged and I'm trying to reconfigure them in a better way.
Patriarchy is dismantling and I don't want to wait one second in helping to build the paradigm that will replace it. The most immediate and powerful way I know to do that is to trust my vision, intuition, and my experience.
Community acupuncture is such an incredible resource and I know it's so needed. I regret not trusting my gut before but there is no actual rule anywhere, business or otherwise, that says I can't admit a mistake or change my mind. So we are lowering our scale to what it should've been from the start - $25-$50. And if you can't pay that, send us an email and we'll figure out a plan for you.
Just come in and start getting some acupuncture.
I was an adolescent, high-school dropout, transient gutter-punk when I became pregnant with my kid. He has grown into one of the most "successful", amazing, generous, intelligent, and kindest people I know. I did it my own way then and I'm gonna do this my way now. And if I can do it with a human being, I can damn well do it with a business.
Sierra Tarinelli
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