Working for free!

"Do this for me for free and the exposure will get you loads of work"

How many times have you heard that and how, as a woman, do you react to it?  Do you find it hard to say no? Do you find yourself giving away your talents and getting nothing in return?


This question came up at a Networking Meeting recently and I thought I'd let you know my thoughts.
Of course the right exposure is invaluable but what is the right exposure? When someone offers you this great deal, there is nothing wrong with asking, how will it work and how do you quantify it? What exactly are they going to do for you? Don't feel embarrassed, they asked you after all.
In this situation, you need to draw up an agreement stating what you will do and what you will expect them to do. This puts everything on a professional footing and lets the person know you are a serious business woman. If then, they don't want to bother, it's them saying no and not you.

Another problem that came up was people asking you to do extra things "while you are here". Now, I often think this is a problem we create for ourselves. If you have an electrician at your house and you ask him to do something extra while he's there, do you expect to get it free? Of course you don't and probably, neither does your client. You just think she does! But, just in case you're right, when the question comes, you say "of course I can and when I've finished this, I'll take a look and work out a quote. If the client did want it for free, she can turn it down. Of course, sometimes your electrician will throw in a freebie, to create goodwill, and so can you.

One other way of working without getting paid is to barter. This is a great option if your client has something you want. Again, you must keep this professional. Draw up a proposal with a value so your client can match it. Recently I did this with a hairdresser. I decorated her salon and she matched the value of that with monthly haircuts.

Whatever you do, the main thing is to always put a value on your work. If you don't, no one else can.

Although, I might consider this one!