Charge what you feel you're worth as a preeminent motivational speaker. Conversely, if you choose to work during the week only you can take advantage of business and school functions during their regular hours. This option allows you to still make time for the family during the weekend. The common thought among motivational speakers' circles is that they tend to undersell their services in order to land the job. It's difficult to make money by charging a potential employer far less than the standard market rate. But the beauty of being an available motivational speaker is that you can, essentially, charge whatever you want. There are some things to remember before you set a price for yourself, though. Your price should match the value of the motivational speaker market with your background and experience. If you hold two degrees and have taught a variety of classes and workshops, you can charge much more than a rookie who has spoken at one or two church functions. However, if you are that rookie, and you think you are well worth a R8000 a day price tag, good luck. The worst that can happen is that you can be turned down.  What you can hope for is a potential customer who is willing to bargain with you. If you mark yourself up to R20 000, but are really hoping for anywhere between R15 000 and R18 000, be ready to haggle. Make your customer think that you are giving them a bargain, and they will be pleased they were able to secure you at a lower rate. Just one thing though - the value that you deliver must be world-class as a motivational speaker.