Quarter of UK businesses considering raising prices

We are definitely having to consider raising our prices. Our can-dles have been the same fixed price since we first started in 2020. Materials have skyrocketed since, postage is more expensive and packaging, too. Platform fees for Etsy and our website also eat into our profits, it’s very hard getting the balance right. We need to stay competitive, we try and pitch ourselves as being the most fairly priced and the most diverse in terms of selection. We source our empties from loads of different places to ensure we have a wide variety of cool and unusual craft beer cans. The fact that all of our cans have been donated and upcycled helps but the rising cost of wax and scents is what is causing the biggest problem. We don’t want to be too expensive so we need to have a robust plan to make sure we can keep the wolf from the door.

We decided at the start of this year to increase our standard mortgage advice fee to £495 from £395, where it had been set for several years. The rising costs of both regulation in the financial services world, plus the increases in general bills like heating and lighting meant we couldn't continue to maintain the lower fee level.