Should I raise prices now? (small business)

Top picks

Protocol

1. 1

   Paste facts (5–8 min).

   Assemble only what you actually know. Mark gaps [MISSING] / [NEED FACT]. Do not invent rates, BATNA, legal outcomes, or benchmarks. This small-business go / selective / hold gate is not a price-increase letter, not a job quote (service-estimate-from-job-notes), and not a SKU keep/kill (keep-discount-or-discontinue-sku-decision).

   Paths at a glance

   Path	Lean this way when (from your paste)
   A — Raise across the board	Costs up across offerings; margins below your floor; churn tolerance allows a list move you can defend with your facts.
   B — Raise only low-margin SKUs	Mix is uneven—some lines healthy, some below your floor; you can name which SKUs.
   C — Repackage (hold list)	Customers sensitive to list price; you can bundle, shrink scope, or change packaging without inventing new market rates.
   D — Hold + cut cost	Churn risk high or demand soft per your notes; you have real cost cuts to pursue first.

2. 2

   Lock decision-tree rules (step 2).

   Paste the rules first so the model cannot mint market rates, competitor prices, or an always-raise prescription.

   Copy-paste prompt

   Copy

   Help me run a RAISE-PRICES-NOW decision tree.
   Hard rules:
   - Use ONLY costs, margins, churn facts, and competitor notes I paste. Do not invent market rates, industry-standard increases, or competitor prices.
   - Output FACTS vs [MISSING], a scorecard, and exactly 4 labeled paths—not one prescription.
   - Paths: Path A Raise across board / Path B Raise only low-margin SKUs / Path C Repackage (hold list) / Path D Hold + cut cost.
   - Optional customer notice wording ONLY after I choose a path, using only numbers/dates I authorize.
   - Not pricing, tax, or legal advice. I decide.
   Confirm in one sentence, then wait for my pack.

3. 3

   Fill pack (step 3a) and generate (step 3b).

   Paste the pack, then send the generate command. The model must not pick a path for you.

   Paste pack

   Copy

   COST CHANGES (what rose, by how much, period)—only real numbers: [or MISSING]
   CURRENT MARGINS BY LINE / OVERALL: [or MISSING]
   MY MARGIN FLOOR: [or NEED FACT]
   CHURN TOLERANCE / RECENT LOST CUSTOMERS (facts): [or MISSING]
   COMPETITOR PRICE NOTES I ACTUALLY HAVE: [or NONE—do not invent]
   DEMAND SIGNAL (pipeline, bookings—facts only): [ ]
   CUSTOMER SEGMENTS I CAN TREAT DIFFERENTLY: [or NONE]
   CONTRACT / NOTICE CONSTRAINTS: [or MISSING]
   COST CUTS I CAN ACTUALLY MAKE: [or NONE]

   After you send the filled pack, copy the Generate command in the next box and paste it into the SAME chat so the AI runs the decision tree / produces the output.

   Generate command — copy and send this next (same chat)

   Copy

   Build the decision tree now:
   1) Facts vs [MISSING]
   2) Scorecard table: Criterion | My fact | Lean (+/0/− or NEED FACT) | Note
   3) Path A Raise across board / Path B Raise only low-margin / Path C Repackage hold list / Path D Hold + cut cost — for each: when it fits, what must be true from my pack, 3 owner-verify bullets
   4) Do NOT pick for me. Do not invent facts.

4. 4

   Choose a path (step 4); optional wording.

   Only after you pick a labeled path. Owner-verify: facts still match your pack; [MISSING] gaps filled or accepted; any sendable wording uses only terms you authorize.

   Path wording

   Copy

   I chose Path [A/B/C/D]. If a customer notice is needed, draft a short notice using ONLY prices, %, and effective dates I authorize: [ ].
   No invented justifications or competitor comparisons. Mark [NEED FACT].

5. 5

   Second-model check (step 5).

   In the other tool, paste the tree or notice plus your fact pack:

   Second-model check

   Copy

   Here is a raise-prices decision tree / notice from another assistant plus my fact pack.
   Find: (1) invented rates or competitor claims, (2) forced always-raise advice, (3) SKUs raised that I didn't list, (4) missing notice dates I still need.
   Return only corrections.

6. 6

   Human decide and act (step 6).

   Pick one path. Fill [NEED FACT] gaps from real sources. Send or implement yourself—AI drafts are not approvals, contracts, classifications, or tax elections. After you keep quoting work, use the service-estimate how-to. SKU-level keep/kill is a different tree.

When not to

• Do not invent market rates, competitor prices, or guaranteed churn outcomes.
• Regulated pricing, contracts with price locks, or antitrust-sensitive markets—use counsel.
• Skip if you lack cost and margin facts—pull books first.
• Not a substitute for a full price-increase letter. This is the decision gate.