I used to squeeze every penny out of my invoices, now I add 15% to every quote and nobody blinks
Two years ago in Fort Wayne I was fighting for every $20 on a job, now I bid high on purpose and land more work. Is that just how it goes or am I fooling myself?
You ever notice how the guys who fight over every dollar are usually the ones hurting for work? I watched a plumber in my area do the same thing you did, raised his rates just to weed out the cheap customers, and ended up busier than ever. Seems like when you price yourself like you're worth something, people just assume you are.