---
title: "Build Price Increases Into Contracts"
id: "1532"
type: "post"
slug: "build-price-increases-into-contracts"
published_at: "2026-09-16T14:45:00+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-09-15T22:05:26+00:00"
url: "https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/build-price-increases-into-contracts/"
markdown_url: "https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/build-price-increases-into-contracts.md"
excerpt: "Most price increases don’t fail because of the math. They fail because you turned them into a future awkward conversation. And once that happens, you keep postponing it. I’ve seen this with a lot of business owners. But instead of..."
taxonomy_category:
  - "Updates"
---

# Build Price Increases Into Contracts

Most price increases don’t fail because of the math.

They fail because you turned them into a future awkward conversation. And once that happens, you keep postponing it. I’ve seen this with a lot of [business owners](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/)
.

- You know your costs went up.
- You know your margins are tighter.
- You know the price you’re charging no longer reflects reality.

But instead of fixing it, you keep carrying the old number forward because changing it feels uncomfortable.

So the price stays.

[Everything else moves.](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/loyalty-penalty-eats-margins/)

Payroll moves. [Vendor costs move](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/loyalty-penalty-eats-margins/)
. Software moves. Insurance moves. Rent moves. But your pricing sits there like it’s somehow supposed to stay frozen forever.

That’s usually not a pricing problem.

It’s a conversation problem.

Because when you don’t deal with pricing upfront, you create a moment later where you feel like you have to defend yourself.

- Now you need the email.
- Now you need the call.
- Now you need the explanation.
- Now you need to hope they take it well.

That’s why one simple decision matters so much:

**Build standard price increases into the agreement from the beginning.**

Now the increase isn’t a surprise.

- It isn’t personal.
- It isn’t a yearly debate.
- It’s just part of how the agreement works.

That doesn’t make you greedy.

It makes you clear.

And clear is a lot better than resentful.

Because what happens for a lot of founders is this:

They avoid the uncomfortable conversation absorb rising costs for too long and slowly train themselves to accept [shrinking margins](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/discounting-death-spiral-trap/)
 as “**just part of business.**”

It doesn’t have to work that way.

If your [contracts are long-term](https://www.acquisition.gov/far/subpart-16.2)
, your pricing should reflect the fact that real life keeps happening.

Costs change.

Markets change.

Your business changes.

Pretending your pricing shouldn’t change with them is usually just a very expensive form of avoidance.

## 🧠 Summary

The companies that handle this well don’t wait until they feel brave enough to [raise prices](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/price-the-outcome-not-the-time/)
. They decide in advance how it will work. That’s the move.

- Not more drama.
- Not more apologies.
- Not more last-minute renegotiation.

Just a healthier agreement from day one.

Have you built standard price increases into your contracts yet, or are you still renegotiating them [one uncomfortable conversation at a time](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jeremyshapiro_most-price-increases-dont-fail-because-of-share-7501747193264021504-2ali/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAFdOZw8BYQ0nmkyDSimSRn-2tmSTKAn9FAI)
?

Written by [Jeremy B. Shapiro](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/#author)
, author of best-selling *[Your Business Growth Playbook](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/)*, and host of [Your Business Growth Podcast](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/podcast/)
.

## Jeremy Shapiro

*Best-Selling Author, Mentor, Speaker, and Podcast Host.*

With 30 years of experience as a serial entrepreneur helping founders to scale their businesses, Jeremy Shapiro writes about business growth for 7-figure business owners who want to get back to the growth they deserve. Looking to grow your business, too? Pickup a copy of his best-selling book *[Your Business Growth Playbook](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/buy/)* or schedule a 1:1 [Blueprint Discovery](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/blueprint/)
 call today.  
  
✔️ [Award Winning](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/tag/awards/)
 Author of *[Your Business Growth Playbook](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/buy/)*  
✔️ Host of [Your Business Growth Podcast](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/podcast/)
  
✔️ [Advisor](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/blueprint/)
 to 7-8 figure business owners  
✔️ [Keynote Speaker and Workshop Facilitator](https://yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com/speaking/)

- [Visit YouTube account (opens in a new tab)](https://www.youtube.com/@YourBusinessGrowthPlaybook?sub_confirmation=1)
- [Visit LinkedIn account (opens in a new tab)](https://linkedin.com/in/jeremyshapiro)