Lesson prices ... and the "laws" of Demand and Supply

I liked the clarity of the business presentation by industry writer and founder of MyDriveTime, Dan Hill.  [I've heard him recently, too].  It describes what I'd call the "pure version" of capitalist economics, a world in which "the Market dictates".

Covid has been inconvenient for most of us, but death for some. So, should we instructors prioritise our families' needs over those of existing (or any) clients? Yes!

But what is our need, and what is just 'want' or lifestyle choice? Do we feel entitled to never reduce our living standard? Recalling Mr Hill's words, "it's not about being greedy", but are we not morally bound to weigh up what we contribute to the world amid others (NHS staff; care workers; pandemic officials; food deliverers; national decision-makers) who are making their own contribution? That's a decision each of us must face.

So, are ADIs at risk of profiteering? Yes. Money, or economics, or The Market, is not dictating what we (as sentient, responsible, morally obliged beings) SHOULD do. None of those inanimate things CAN dictate: they're all structures invented by people.

And it's not just ADIs who've "been through the mill". Thinking of people as business fodder, to feed a mechanistic world, is a view born in the Industrial Revolution. When we ourselves have been in difficulty or suffered misfortune, we want to be helped by others: shouldn’t we behave that way to them?

As an evangelistic champion for Adam Smith's free-market model, this technical presentation is great. But, for me, it was disappointing that 20 minutes passed before ethics got mentioned. And phrases like "they're not a person [student] worth having" are demeaning, casting people as a homogeneous commodity ... like "refugees", "immigrants", "the unemployed / disabled". Each has human value, whether we like it (or them) or not.

Because we're more than zombies clambering over each other in a scramble to the top. Life's about quality interactions and lasting relationships.

I like to steer my business at nourishing that, and I’m happy (and able) to pitch my prices so I’m not exclusive or too cushy. I like to give a leg-up. That’s reward in itself.