Never Work for Free

Summary

The article emphasizes the importance of valuing one's expertise as a freelancer by not working for free and ensuring that all time spent on client-related tasks is compensated.

Abstract

The author discusses the pitfalls of working without compensation, drawing from a personal anecdote where a friend spent hours researching for a potential client without a formal agreement. The core message is that freelancers should protect their time, as it is their most valuable asset. The article advises that any work, including research and advice, should be paid for, with exceptions made at the freelancer's discretion for family and close friends. It underscores the fact that freelancers' expertise is the basis of their livelihood and deserves appropriate remuneration. While the author occasionally offers discounted services, they maintain that free work should be a choice, such as contributing to community forums, rather than an expectation.

Opinions

Entrepreneurs and freelancers should only engage in paid work to ensure their expertise is valued and compensated.
Clients should be responsible for certain aspects of project research, especially before a contract is finalized.
Time spent on "quick favors" or research for potential clients should be billable.
Freelancers have the right to choose when to offer discounted or pro bono services, particularly in community settings where mutual help is the norm.
The ability to make a living as a freelancer is predicated on the quality of one's work, which justifies compensation for all professional services rendered.

Ever. Nope, not for that one client, either.

A friend of mine is also an entrepreneur. She was asked about possibly doing a whole new project for one of her clients. She wasn’t super familiar with the details but knew she could do the main part, so she said she was interested.

The client didn’t even ask her to, but she spent several hours researching information and details about parts of the project she wasn’t as familiar with — but hadn’t firmed up a price or a contract with the client yet.

I told her to stop. The biggest thing about being an entrepreneur is you only get paid for certain work. It was the client’s responsibility to take care of some of what she was researching, and even then, only if they agree to move forward.

Protect your time.

As the expert, your time is your most valuable commodity.

Time spent doing “just a quick little favor” for a client that pays by the minute or researching something for someone you don’t even work for any more than 10 minutes should absolutely be paid.

If you are wondering what this includes — literally everything. It is up to your discretion to give advice to your family or close friends for free. Anyone else should be paying.

There is a REASON you are able to make a living freelancing and that is because you are really good at what you do.

Which means you deserve to be compensated for it.

Don’t work for free.

I will occasionally give discounted pricing to people if it’s a trial blog post or something. But even then, still not free and that is my own choice.

The times when I have not charged for advice or help are when I choose to do so in a community, such as Reddit or Quora, where people are genuinely asking for help and no one is under any obligation to give it. I like helping people, and other writers are a fantastic group of people!

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Never Work for Free

Ever. Nope, not for that one client, either.

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