Track III — Operations · Module 3A 2.5 hrs

About this module

Pricing is one of the most important business decisions entrepreneurs make, yet many businesses set prices based on guesswork, competitors, or fear of losing customers. This workshop helps entrepreneurs understand how pricing impacts profitability, cash flow, positioning, and long-term sustainability.

Participants will learn practical pricing models used by successful Canadian businesses across both product and service industries. The session focuses on real-world pricing decisions, including how to calculate costs properly, establish profitable margins, price against competitors, and communicate value effectively.

The workshop also addresses common pricing mistakes made by early-stage entrepreneurs, such as underpricing, inconsistent discounting, and failing to account for overhead costs. Participants will work through practical calculations and pricing exercises using Ontario business examples.

Learning objectives

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Understand the relationship between pricing, profitability, and business sustainability
Calculate direct costs, indirect costs, margins, and markups accurately
Compare and apply multiple pricing models including cost-plus, value-based, market-based, and dynamic pricing
Develop pricing structures for products and services within an Ontario and Canadian business environment
Identify and avoid common pricing mistakes that reduce profitability
Create a practical pricing strategy aligned with business goals and customer expectations

What you'll walk away with

Participants will leave with practical pricing frameworks, calculation tools, worksheets, and implementation templates ready to apply immediately:

Product Pricing Calculator Spreadsheet
Service Pricing Calculator Spreadsheet
Break-Even Analysis Tool
Pricing Strategy Worksheet
Competitor Pricing Analysis Template
Cost Tracking Worksheet
Margin vs. Markup Calculator
Discount Impact Calculator
Service Package Pricing Template
Retail Pricing Checklist
B2B Quotation Template
Price Increase Communication Template
Customer Value Assessment Worksheet
Sales Forecast Worksheet
Pricing Review Checklist

Who should enroll

Entrepreneurs who set prices based on gut feeling, competitors, or fear of losing customers

Small business owners who aren't sure if their current prices are actually profitable

Ontario operators who want to build margin into their pricing rather than discover it's missing later

Founders who discount frequently and want to understand the true cost of that strategy

Product and service businesses that need structured pricing frameworks for growth

Anyone who wants to price with confidence and communicate value more effectively to customers

This 2.5-hour workshop is structured around six teaching blocks, each paired with a practical calculation exercise you complete using your own business as the case study.

Pricing Fundamentals & Why They Matter

How pricing directly affects profitability, cash flow, positioning, and scalability. Common pricing myths, the real cost of underpricing, and why small price improvements have an outsized effect on the bottom line.

Understanding Your True Costs

How to calculate direct costs, indirect costs, overhead, and labour accurately. The difference between gross margin and net margin, and why many Ontario small businesses unknowingly price below their true break-even point.

Pricing Models & Strategies

A practical comparison of cost-plus, value-based, market-based, competitive, and dynamic pricing models. How to choose the right model for your business type, customer profile, and competitive position — with Ontario examples throughout.

Pricing Calculations Workshop

Hands-on session where participants calculate their own prices using the product and service pricing calculators, run a break-even analysis, and use the margin vs. markup tool to understand what their current prices are actually delivering.

Discounting, Packaging & Price Increases

The real impact of discounting on profitability, how to structure service packages and bundles to increase average transaction value, and how to communicate price increases to existing customers without losing them.

Pricing Optimization & Your Strategy Plan

How to review and test pricing performance over time, use competitor analysis to stay positioned correctly, and build a pricing review process into your business. Participants leave with a completed pricing strategy worksheet for their own business.

This module runs as a single 2.5-hour interactive workshop. Choose the format that works best for you.

Live In-Person Workshop

Held at our Richmond Hill facility. You'll work alongside other Ontario entrepreneurs in a hands-on environment with direct access to your instructor. Maximum group size ensures personal attention.

Live Online Workshop

Instructor-led via video with the same interactive exercises, group discussions, and real-time implementation. Participate from anywhere in Ontario without missing any content.

Workshop Structure

Every session follows the same proven format: 20 minutes of context and objectives, focused teaching blocks with live pricing calculations, two Ontario-based case studies, and a 30-minute pricing strategy planning close.

What's included with every session

Full slide deck

15 templates & tools

2 Ontario case studies

Pricing calculator spreadsheets

Break-even analysis tool

25-question assessment

Session

Attendance Format