July 29, 2018

RE: Free is better than cheap

Longtime reader Martin Bähr wrote in with some additional thoughts about free vs cheap (shared with permission):

i help with small issues for free when i want to avoid the impression that i am available for “cheap” work. free work is obviously a gift, where as cheap work isn’t. i may consider accepting a low price as a favor to a particular person, but the recipient may not be aware of that and could potentially recommend me as being available for that price to others or expect to be available at the same price the next time a similar service is needed. by working for free, the recipients can only recommend me based on my service quality, but leave me all options open to set the price for paid work. i also do it if it is in an area that i don’t specialize in (even if i am well experienced in that area) to avoid the impression that i am available for hire for this work. greetings, martin.

All good points. Thanks, Martin!

Yours,

—J

P.S. Do you know a freelancer who’s having a hard time getting ahead? My latest book was written specifically for freelancers who want to learn how to build actual profits into their business model. Here’s the link: TheFreelancersRoadmap.com

BackRandomNext