Building a Sustainable Business Means Valuing Your Time and Talent
Whether you’re carving wood in Tacoma, painting in Long Beach, selling handmade jewelry in Salt Lake, or writing poetry in Brooklyn—if you’re a creator with roots in the islands, this one’s for you.
Pricing your work isn’t just about numbers—it’s about honoring your time, your ancestors, and your skill. So let’s break down how to price your creative work without feeling awkward, guilty, or like you owe your cousin a freebie.
1. Time Is Mana. Don’t Give It Away for Free.
Think about how long it takes to create your product—every sketch, stroke, stitch, or sentence, from concept to packaging. Multiply that by an hourly wage that matches your experience level in your field and the complexity of the work (hint: start at $20–$30/hr and go up from there). Your time is sacred. Pay yourself like you mean it.
2. Don’t Forget Materials—Even If You Got the Lauhala From Auntie’s Suitcase
Whether you bought paint at Michael’s or got beads from your uncle in Fiji, materials cost something. Track it. If you use recycled or gifted supplies, estimate their value. This helps you set a realistic baseline and customer expectations—and it reminds you your work isn’t cheap.
3. Yes, You Should Profit
Add a markup. This isn’t being “greedy”—it’s being smart and sustainable. Think: cost of time + materials, then add at least 2x or 3x markup. This helps you cover hidden costs like shipping, packaging, taxes, or the booth fee at your next festival.
4. Know the Market, Then Own Your Lane
Check out what others in your niche are charging—especially artists with your level of skill and detail. That gives you context. Don’t undercut just to get sales. Undervaluing your work not only hurts you—it lowers expectations for all Pasifika creators.
5. Consider Multiple Offerings
Not everyone can afford your $500 custom carving or painting—and that’s okay. Consider offering smaller, lower-cost options too: prints, bookmarks, zines, mini carvings, or digital downloads. Different price points, same love.
6. Presentation Matters (And Adds Value)
Your packaging, your story, and your branding all tell people, “This is art, not a hobby.” Add a tag with your logo, a little card about your process, or a QR code to your website. It builds pride and justifies a higher price.
7. Say Your Price Without Flinching
Finally, practice saying your prices out loud. No shrinking, no mumbling, no “but I can do it for less if you want.”
Try this: “This piece is $250. It’s hand-stitched and took me about 12 hours. I also source the fabric from a Chamoru-owned business.”
Say it with the confidence of someone who knows a piece of Pasifika is in each product.
Bonus Tips: Negotiating the “Family Discount” (With Love and Boundaries)
Being a small business owner and a creative often means juggling two worlds: professional hustle and cultural expectations. And nothing tests your ties like the family discount.
Here’s how to stay graceful and firm:
- Set a Policy & Stick to It
Maybe it’s 15% off for immediate family, or a set number of freebies per year. Write it down. Share it if needed. This makes it about policy, not personal feelings. - Practice the Script
“I’m so glad you want one! I do a 15% family discount, just to help cover my materials and time.” Short, sweet, and full of love. - Suggest a Trade
Can’t pay in dollars? Negotiate a trade for products or services. Just be sure to barter at FULL retail price on both of your ends, not at your family discount price! - Don’t Feel Bad for Saying No
If it doesn’t work for you, it’s okay to say: “Right now, I can’t give discounts, but I’d love to work with you when it’s a better time.”
You’re building something real. Protecting your pricing doesn’t make you stingy—it makes you a sustainable creator.
💡 Two More Cents
You are not “just” an artist or crafter—you are a culture bearer, a storyteller, a builder of generational beauty. Your prices should reflect the legacy you’re carrying forward. And out here in the U.S., where Pacific voices are often underrepresented in the art world, pricing your work with intention is a radical act of self-respect.
So go ahead! Post those prices, build that website, name that number like it’s your birthright—because it is.
💬 Any tips, triumphs, or terrors when it comes to pricing your work? Let us know in the comments!
