Profitable on Purpose puts pricing under the microscope as Vancouver Island women business owners examine whether selling more is producing better financial results

VICTORIA, BC, When a business owner wants to make more money, the most common advice is straightforward: sell more.

Find more customers. Generate more leads. Increase marketing. Add another offer.

But more sales do not automatically create more profit.

For Pam Ivey, founder and Executive Producer of the Profitable on Purpose Conference, pricing is one of the first places business owners should look before deciding they need more customers.

“You can sell more and still end up working harder for very little additional profit. If the pricing doesn’t support the true cost of delivering the work, adding volume can make the problem bigger.”

Pricing will be one of the business issues explored at Profitable on Purpose, a one-day working conference for established women business owners taking place October 23, 2026 at Esquimalt Gorge Park Pavilion in Greater Victoria.

The challenge is familiar to many established entrepreneurs.

A price that made sense when a business started might still be in place years later, despite higher wages, software costs, supplies, insurance and other expenses. A service might sell well while requiring far more owner time than originally anticipated. Discounts might have become routine. A popular offer might generate substantial revenue while producing surprisingly little profit.

From the outside, the business appears busy and successful.

The numbers can tell a different story.

“Business owners often assume they have a sales problem because there isn’t enough money left at the end,” Ivey said. “Sometimes they do need more sales. Sometimes they need to stop selling something at a price that doesn’t make financial sense.”

That distinction matters because increasing sales comes with a cost.

More customers often require additional labour, administration, inventory, customer service, delivery time and marketing. When margins are already thin, every additional sale can add workload without adding enough profit.

Understanding the economics behind an offer gives an owner a different set of options.

She might raise the price. Change what is included. Reduce delivery costs. Eliminate unnecessary customization. Set minimums. Package services differently. Stop discounting. Or decide an offer no longer deserves space in the business.

The goal is not simply to charge more.

The goal is to understand what the price needs to accomplish.

“A good price has to work for the customer and the business,” Ivey said. “If you’re selling something people love but the business cannot afford to keep delivering it, you don’t have a sustainable offer.”

Profitable on Purpose was created around this type of practical business decision.

Rather than spending the day listening to presentations and collecting ideas to deal with later, attendees work on their own businesses throughout the conference.

Pricing is part of the program, alongside profitability, financial strategy, business priorities and implementation. Business owner and pricing strategist Victoria Westcott will lead a session examining pricing decisions and the relationship between price, value and profit.

The day concludes with dedicated implementation time for attendees to identify their priorities and build a 90-day plan.

For Ivey, the aim is to move the conversation away from growth as the automatic solution to every business problem.

“Before asking how to sell more, I want business owners asking whether what they’re already selling is profitable enough. Sometimes the fastest route to a better business isn’t another customer. It’s a better decision.”

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Friday, October 23, 2026

Time: 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM, registration opens at 8:45 AM

Location: Esquimalt Gorge Park Pavilion, Greater Victoria, BC

Capacity: 100 attendees

ABOUT PROFITABLE ON PURPOSE

Profitable on Purpose is a one-day working conference for established women business owners. The conference focuses on the practical decisions behind profitability, pricing, financial management, strategic priorities and sustainable business growth. The inaugural conference takes place October 23, 2026 at Esquimalt Gorge Park Pavilion in Greater Victoria.

ABOUT PAM IVEY

Pam Ivey is a business strategist, entrepreneur and Executive Producer of Profitable on Purpose. Based in Ladysmith, BC, she has more than 20 years of experience working with entrepreneurs and holds a Harvard Business School Online Business Strategy certification and certification in Small Business Management. She was nominated for the RBC Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award five consecutive years.

MEDIA CONTACT

Pam Ivey
Executive Producer
Profitable on Purpose Conference
pam@pamivey.com

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