Are Gas prices affecting your business?

[Sherry]

Gas prices are getting to be a real pain.  Anyone raise their prices over it?  I've been thinking about this the last few days and contemplating whether I should raise my prices overall, or only add on a travel fee when the location is far from my home.  If I raise them across the board, it would be less complicated and less work for me, but it might not make the customers happier.

 Otherwise, I'd have to start figuring distance on each individual party before I quoted the price and I'm not sure I want that hassle.  Then I'd forget what I told each customer.  I think I had that problem yesterday.  I had 2 different customers (charities) come in close together asking for me to donate my time.  They were both for Saturdays.  I let them both know that I can only donate on a weekday when I'm not already booked, but Saturdays I need to leave free because that's when I get most of my work and is how I make my living.  Anyway, they both came back and asked if I'd offer a discount.  I offered them both a discount, but forgot exactly who I told what.  I ended up emailing the wrong person.  Woops!

Anyway, I feel I need to keep things as uncomplicated as possible, otherwise I might get mixed up and customers might get the impression I'm not being fair with them.  What about you all?

[Kristal]

I sat down with a map one day and figured out travel rates - it didn't make any sense for me to not charge travel for gigs 100km away round trip! I ended up googling distances from my house to other city centres, and came up with 6 different zones - zone 1 being my city and a couple cities close by, with no travel fee, to zone 6 - downtown and a city 50km+ one way away - for $50. This is inclusive of distance, toll bridges, and parking.

It's made things SO much easier when giving quotes! My wall is covered in post-its, haha. Oh, if it's not clear, I divvy zones by city as opposed to specific kms, though I know some people charge by the km/m; I figure it kind of averages out if they're on the boundary. I do split up Vancouver city though, into 2 different zones, and have to make sure I ask for cross roads so I get the correct one.

How much is gas there? We've been at $1.30 - A LITRE. I've taken to crossing the border to get gas - in Blaine it was $3.82 a gallon last week, but that is STILL less than $1/litre, even considering that your gallon is smaller than ours!

Ridiculous...

[Sherry]

It's around $3.55 a gallon here right now, so not as high as you're having to deal with.  The Jacksonville area is huge, so I think the zone idea is good.  I don't really like the idea of calculating miles for each party or event.

[vegaburm]

I raised my prices a bit, but I was contemplating doing it anyway. Gas prices cinched it for me. I have tiers on my prices. The first hour is different if I have to drive farther, but any hours after that are my regular rate. I just list the cities in each group and it is pretty easy for people to figure out where they would be.
 

[Psalmbook]

I filled up for $3.77 the other day
I've had to raise prices & add travel in just to make ends meet. It's just not cost effective to have so much go into the tank. I hope the clients understand.....

[Alison]

Over $4/ gallon now....
And supermarket and electronics are up also.
But clothes and vacations are cheaper.
But who can afford them?

Let me try that as a Haiku (having fun writing here:-)

Gas prices are high,
Food and Computers.
Can we afford Fun?

[Alison]

Gas prices are outrageous - I just paid Over $60 to fill up my tank (no - it wasn't completely empty.  and no - I did not buy high-test), and this was the 2nd time this week that I went to the gas station.  

But I remember a time when we COULDN'T buy gas.
Anybody else remember that?  About 30 years ago, when we would have to wait on line in our cars (burning up gas) for Hours
while hoping that the gas station wouldn't run out of gas and just send up away empty.

[Sherry]

I remember hearing about it, but I don't actually remember it happening personally.  Wasn't that in the seventies?  I was born in '68.

[Party Picassos Facepainting]

I remember it too. The seventies. I wasn't driving yet, but it affected all people!
What a drag!