Sliding Scale + Community Care
Sliding scale is something I’ve been experimenting with for a year or so now. I’ve always been flexible with my pay structures but implementing a sliding scale was new to me last year. Many people began waking up to the economic disparities we live in under capitalism and many practitioners began trying something new. If you’re a practitioner considering sliding scale but you don’t quite know why or how- this is for you.
We are living in a time where we are finally learning how we can run an ethical business while still living under capitalism. We’re understanding that our work needs to be equitable and accessible and are putting practices into place that can facilitate that. In the spirit of transparency, it’s something I’m still figuring out. Learning how to meet my basic financial needs, donate to organizations I believe in, take time off to rest, learn, or because of illness, and still be able to meet people where they are is a balancing act. And while I’m still learning, I have picked up some tips and would love to share them with you here.
Some tips:
Be transparent! This is an experiment- we are all learning how to be clearer when it comes to pay structures and you can absolutely share what is working and what isn’t.
You can offer a limited amount of sliding scale spots for your offerings if you find that you aren’t covering your costs when you switch to this model (this happened to me!)
You can create a community fund (people who have more to give can contribute here and this covers your cost for your sliding scale offerings)
Offer other ways to access your work such as Patreon, a blog, a newsletter etc
Have a variety of offerings at different price points like an open webinar at a low price point as well as an intimate class.
Let people know how else they can support you- by sharing your work on social media or by referring you to their friends
Be clear that what you are aiming to do is weave a network of community care, not just offering a discount.
More around why I feel this is important: my somatic sessions are priced at market value. This price point is inaccessible to many people, myself included at various times in life.
But everyone still deserves access to care. The gatekeeping around healing, financial and otherwise, makes it so many of us cannot get the care we need. Learning how to offer more accessible community care and offering sliding scale opportunities feels like a step in the direction of equity.
When clients pay more than full price for a session or set of sessions, it allows me the ability to work with people who may not be able to afford my services at full price. It allows me to make my work accessible and still be able to meet my own needs. It also helps fortify me during those unpaid hours I spend doing admin work, learning new things to better serve my community, and allows me space to think critically and creatively.
I ask that people really check in with themselves about what they can afford, in either direction. If someone is in need of care but can’t afford to pay full price for a session or reading, they can choose something on the lower end of the spectrum. If they are financially stable and are able to cover their basic needs, healthcare, childcare, and luxury activities- they can choose the full price end of the spectrum and consider donating to my Community Fund which helps to cover costs for those who need to utilize the lower price points.
Overall, let’s remember this is something we’re all in together- we are all learning how to balance our own needs with the needs of the collective. And it’s okay if we make mistakes. It’s okay if we integrate a new pay structure and it doesn’t work for us and we have to pivot. We can learn to be flexible and experiment.
Let me know in the comments below about anything you’ve been learning about sliding scale or, if you’ve been doing it for a while, I’d love to know what works for you!