October 23rd, 2025

BEING CALLED EXPENSIVE IS A COMPLIMENT
At first, it might sting. That small, self-doubting voice whispers — Am I charging too much? Am I worth it? Should I lower my prices? But here’s the truth: being told you’re expensive isn’t an insult. It’s feedback  and often it’s proof that you’re doing something right. Expensive is a relative term. People say something is expensive when they can’t immediately see its value  or when they’re comparing you to someone who offers less for less.In every market, there’s a range. There’s the budget option, the mid-tier, and the premium.
If you’re positioned as a professional who delivers quality, reliability, strategy, and results, then yes, you will cost more than someone who just does the bare minimum. And he question isn’t whether you’re expensive.It’s whether you’re worth it. Because in business, people don’t actually buy hours, they buy certainty, confidence, and results.
Seventeen years ago, I started a local magazine with a simple goal to connect our community, tell real stories, and give local businesses a voice. I have outlived every other publication; the rise of social media, the shift to digital marketing, a global recession, and now a cost-of-living crisis that’s reshaping how everyone spends.Yet here I am still publishing every month, still thriving, still believing in the power of local storytelling.
Five years ago I replicated my business model in Cyprus and it’s working there too. When you have survived this long, you learn exactly what it takes to keep a small business alive.
You know what sustainability really costs, not just in money, but in resilience, creativity, and sheer persistence.
I have created a business that can be run from my phone anywhere in the world and I live abroad, yet when I return to Liverpool and network face to face, I always get the response, “I’ve heard of Lifestyle magazine” or, “I’ve seen this”. That’s reputation, that’s good PR, that’s priceless.
There’s always a cheaper option for sure. a quick ad on social media, a flyer, a budget publication lacking in real journalism. But what they can’t replicate is connection. I am the bridge between brands and people, between stories and readers and my social media has an engagement of 170k per month. That’s something you can’t discount.
After this long in business, I’ve learned that price isn’t just a number,  it’s a filter that separates the clients who understand value from those who only chase bargains. I have business partnerships with people  that have lasted more than most marriages. Every time someone accuses me of being expensive I  don’t get defensive or question my prices I smile because  what they’re really saying is, “You’re not ordinary.”
Being affordable might win you quick sales.
Being valuable wins you longevity  and 17 years of business proves that. You don’t survive in publishing this long by luck. You survive because you deliver value  for local businesses who understand what you bring to the table.
We live in a world that wants everything for nothing, everything that is quick, free, disposable.
But real, memorable quality still costs something. So no, I don’t do free editorial and I don’t do free posts.
​I do meaningful storytelling, community connection, and proven results and that comes at a highly competitive price

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