Working for free.
Everything I've learned.
A thread.
Everything I've learned.
A thread.
There are two sides to working for free:
1. For business
2. For fulfilment
And sometimes, these lines are blurred.
1. For business
2. For fulfilment
And sometimes, these lines are blurred.
When you work for free for business, you do so to increase your prospects.
When you work for free for the fulfilment, you do so because:
- You enjoy it
- You want to learn
- You want to help others.
When you work for free for the fulfilment, you do so because:
- You enjoy it
- You want to learn
- You want to help others.
Projects can fall into either of these categories singularly, or both:
- You can work for free only for the business benefit
- You can work for free only to make you feel good
- Or, you can work for free to gain business benefit while feeling good about it
- You can work for free only for the business benefit
- You can work for free only to make you feel good
- Or, you can work for free to gain business benefit while feeling good about it
Reasons people work for free to increase their business prospects:
- To gain goodwill
- To gain experience
- To gain recommendations
- To gain goodwill
- To gain experience
- To gain recommendations
Reasons people work for free to increase their fulfilment:
- For fun
- To gain experience
- To make a difference
- For fun
- To gain experience
- To make a difference
Whatever reason you work for free short-term,
Your instinct tells you that your efforts will bear fruit in the medium to long-term;
It feels OK to work for free because you'll get a return on your investment.
Your instinct tells you that your efforts will bear fruit in the medium to long-term;
It feels OK to work for free because you'll get a return on your investment.
In reality,
This being true,
Depends on:
- Who you're working for free for
- What you're doing for free
- Your primary desired outcome of doing the free work
This being true,
Depends on:
- Who you're working for free for
- What you're doing for free
- Your primary desired outcome of doing the free work
Working for free for a good cause can trump everything.
It can offer you a level of satisfaction beyond any potential financial reward.
On the other hand,
Working for free for someone who could be a client, is different.
It can offer you a level of satisfaction beyond any potential financial reward.
On the other hand,
Working for free for someone who could be a client, is different.
This is why:
"Should I work for free?"
Is the wrong question,
And,
"Should I do [task] for free, for [person], to achieve [outcome]?"
Is the right one.
"Should I work for free?"
Is the wrong question,
And,
"Should I do [task] for free, for [person], to achieve [outcome]?"
Is the right one.
Doing for free,
What you sell as a service,
For a viable client,
Works against you becoming a high-value service provider.
What you sell as a service,
For a viable client,
Works against you becoming a high-value service provider.
If you need a start,
Work for a little over working for nothing.
Work for a little over working for nothing.
"But if I work for free I'll have a chance of getting paid work!"
Does a decorator paint the downstairs of your house for free,
On the potential that they get to paint the upstairs?
Does a decorator paint the downstairs of your house for free,
On the potential that they get to paint the upstairs?
"But if I work for free my client will get me exposure!"
Is your end-game to be better known for giving away your service to clients?
Working for free for clients exposes you to more clients who expect work for free.
Is your end-game to be better known for giving away your service to clients?
Working for free for clients exposes you to more clients who expect work for free.
"But if I work for free I'll gain real-world experience!"
A client and service-provider relationship,
Where no money changes hands,
Is not real-world experience.
A client and service-provider relationship,
Where no money changes hands,
Is not real-world experience.
Doing client work for free,
For the primary outcome of increasing your business prospects,
Will stunt your growth.
Your time can be better-spent marketing.
For the primary outcome of increasing your business prospects,
Will stunt your growth.
Your time can be better-spent marketing.
Clients that pay a little are often hard to please.
Clients that pay nothing are the hardest.
Clients that pay nothing are the hardest.
Work for free for yourself, before you work for free for clients.
How to work for free for yourself:
- Self-initiate projects that prove the results of the service you want to sell
- Write articles and tutorials that make your knowledge obvious
- Distribute your content widely across relevant networks
- Build an audience of genuine connections
- Self-initiate projects that prove the results of the service you want to sell
- Write articles and tutorials that make your knowledge obvious
- Distribute your content widely across relevant networks
- Build an audience of genuine connections
Leverage the internet to gain the benefits of doing client work for free at scale.
Without the downside.
Without the downside.
Working for free for one client gets you:
- 1 lot of goodwill for the future
- 1 testimonial to put on your website
- 1 person who'll recommend your services
But the perceived value of your service to that one client is diminished.
- 1 lot of goodwill for the future
- 1 testimonial to put on your website
- 1 person who'll recommend your services
But the perceived value of your service to that one client is diminished.
When a client is conditioned to receiving your service for free,
They'll struggle to see that same service being worth more.
They'll struggle to see that same service being worth more.
Working for free for yourself gives you:
- Goodwill distribution at scale
- Social proof opportunity at scale
- Organic word of mouth at scale
And because you haven't given your service away,
Its value is upheld.
- Goodwill distribution at scale
- Social proof opportunity at scale
- Organic word of mouth at scale
And because you haven't given your service away,
Its value is upheld.
Working for free for clients gives one-to-one benefits.
Working for free for yourself gives one-to-many benefits.
Working for free for yourself gives one-to-many benefits.
Working for free for fulfilment is mostly clear-cut.
If you:
- Helped someone out
- Enjoyed yourself
- Honed a skill
You got value.
If you:
- Helped someone out
- Enjoyed yourself
- Honed a skill
You got value.
When you consider doing work for free,
Look at the context.
It'll help you decide what to do:
- Who will the free work be for?
- What exactly will I be doing for free?
- By doing the free work, what am I trying to achieve?
Look at the context.
It'll help you decide what to do:
- Who will the free work be for?
- What exactly will I be doing for free?
- By doing the free work, what am I trying to achieve?
Working for free, TLDR:
- Context is paramount
- Understand your motivation
- Understand the motivation of others
Ultimately,
Uphold your value and do nice things for people.
It doesn't have to be one or the other.
- Context is paramount
- Understand your motivation
- Understand the motivation of others
Ultimately,
Uphold your value and do nice things for people.
It doesn't have to be one or the other.
