Here is the rate card: a small design studio's 2027 draft. Starter goes from $900 to $1,170, Growth from $2,400 to $3,120, Retainer from $1,500 to $1,950. Thirty percent across the board, from January. We made it up for this page, but it is the kind of change people sit on for weeks.
I sent Calynta a photo of the sheet and one line: thinking of raising my rates 30% in January, what stands out?
“The retainer is the risk: 3 of 5 clients are on it, renewals are due in December.”
It did not say no, and it did not say yes. It checked the arithmetic, read the notes in the margin, and found the one line that could hurt: most of the income sits on a plan that renews just before the rise lands. It also pointed out that $1,950 is near the top of the range similar studios charge.
What it suggested
Use the new rates for new clients from January. Give current clients advance notice, and tie the retainer increase to clear value or scope. That was the whole answer: three sentences, no framework.
If you want a nudge before the notices go out, ask it to call you back. It will, and it will remember what you decided.
