Comments on: Who Gets Your Services for Free? http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/01/30/who-gets-your-services-for-free/ Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:58:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Randall http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/01/30/who-gets-your-services-for-free/#comment-9554 Randall Sat, 02 Feb 2008 15:22:34 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/01/30/who-gets-your-services-for-free/#comment-9554 I've got to disagree, no one ever does ANYTHING for free. There's always a quid-pro-quo involved. Investment Return You working for your family - The feeling you get for helping them, the expectation they'll return the favor, or a 'paying back' of the parents for their love and support. Your work for friends - The building of your relationships through positive reinforcement. Accomplishing a 'team goal' that advances you all (roundups, group writing projects) and any from the 'family' area. Helping random strangers - The enjoyment you get for helping the world be a little better place, the opportunity to exercise a skill you're proud of and good at, or the 'pay it forward' mentality of helping someone that might help someone else (Karma). Those are the positive, non-monetary rewards for pro-bono work. The negative ones don't need to be listed, but exist also. I like doing things for other people, but it's also about how it makes me feel afterwards to make someone else feel good too. I’ve got to disagree, no one ever does ANYTHING for free. There’s always a quid-pro-quo involved.

Investment Return
You working for your family – The feeling you get for helping them, the expectation they’ll return the favor, or a ‘paying back’ of the parents for their love and support.

Your work for friends – The building of your relationships through positive reinforcement. Accomplishing a ‘team goal’ that advances you all (roundups, group writing projects) and any from the ‘family’ area.

Helping random strangers – The enjoyment you get for helping the world be a little better place, the opportunity to exercise a skill you’re proud of and good at, or the ‘pay it forward’ mentality of helping someone that might help someone else (Karma).

Those are the positive, non-monetary rewards for pro-bono work. The negative ones don’t need to be listed, but exist also.

I like doing things for other people, but it’s also about how it makes me feel afterwards to make someone else feel good too.

]]> By: glblguy From Gather Little by Little http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/01/30/who-gets-your-services-for-free/#comment-9292 glblguy From Gather Little by Little Fri, 01 Feb 2008 13:41:30 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/01/30/who-gets-your-services-for-free/#comment-9292 Hey, thanks for the shout-out. Always more than glad to help anyone out if I can. In the real world, I work in IT. So I am constantly helping friends and neighbors with various computer problems. I also try to help out my M-Network buddies and other blogger friends with technical stuff when I can. I really enjoy it, so always glad to help. Oh, and by blog is free :-) Hey, thanks for the shout-out. Always more than glad to help anyone out if I can.

In the real world, I work in IT. So I am constantly helping friends and neighbors with various computer problems. I also try to help out my M-Network buddies and other blogger friends with technical stuff when I can. I really enjoy it, so always glad to help.

Oh, and by blog is free :-)

]]> By: Early Retirement Extreme http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/01/30/who-gets-your-services-for-free/#comment-8824 Early Retirement Extreme Thu, 31 Jan 2008 21:08:29 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/01/30/who-gets-your-services-for-free/#comment-8824 One of the services I offer freely is telling everybody that everything they know is wrong. I think I should start charging for that though :-D One of the services I offer freely is telling everybody that everything they know is wrong. I think I should start charging for that though :-D

]]> By: E.C. http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/01/30/who-gets-your-services-for-free/#comment-8539 E.C. Thu, 31 Jan 2008 03:22:34 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/01/30/who-gets-your-services-for-free/#comment-8539 The other night when I got together with my brother to "work on homework" when I had most of it done and he hadn't even started, I was tempted to tell him my tutoring rates are $10 an hour. For the sake of family harmony, I didn't, and I'm sure that he'll occasionally be able to help me in return. The other night when I got together with my brother to “work on homework” when I had most of it done and he hadn’t even started, I was tempted to tell him my tutoring rates are $10 an hour. For the sake of family harmony, I didn’t, and I’m sure that he’ll occasionally be able to help me in return.

]]> By: Llama Money http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/01/30/who-gets-your-services-for-free/#comment-8531 Llama Money Wed, 30 Jan 2008 23:46:16 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/01/30/who-gets-your-services-for-free/#comment-8531 I give out financial advice at work for free every day. Sadly, most of the time my advice is ignored, and foolish decisions are made as a result. I have succeeded in talking a few people out of ridiculous purchases though, which makes it all worth it. I give out financial advice at work for free every day. Sadly, most of the time my advice is ignored, and foolish decisions are made as a result.

I have succeeded in talking a few people out of ridiculous purchases though, which makes it all worth it.

]]> By: RacerX http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/01/30/who-gets-your-services-for-free/#comment-8524 RacerX Wed, 30 Jan 2008 22:29:46 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/01/30/who-gets-your-services-for-free/#comment-8524 Your husband get them for free, family at a discount, strangers at List Price and annoying telemarketers at 20% more :) Your husband get them for free, family at a discount, strangers at List Price and annoying telemarketers at 20% more :)

]]> By: mrsmicah http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/01/30/who-gets-your-services-for-free/#comment-8510 mrsmicah Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:19:25 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/01/30/who-gets-your-services-for-free/#comment-8510 English Major -- I advertise via Craigslist and word-of-mouth mostly. I wouldn't be surprised if fliers in graduate areas of a campus would work too. The problem for me is that I'm not familiar with some of the local campus's bulletin board systems. You pretty much have to target graduate students, and especially those working on theses or dissertations. They're the most likely to value their work enough to hire help, not just to get a fellow-student to look over it (or maybe they can't get one because it's such a long paper). Undergrads with senior projects might also be willing to pay. English Major — I advertise via Craigslist and word-of-mouth mostly. I wouldn’t be surprised if fliers in graduate areas of a campus would work too. The problem for me is that I’m not familiar with some of the local campus’s bulletin board systems.

You pretty much have to target graduate students, and especially those working on theses or dissertations. They’re the most likely to value their work enough to hire help, not just to get a fellow-student to look over it (or maybe they can’t get one because it’s such a long paper). Undergrads with senior projects might also be willing to pay.

]]> By: That One Caveman http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/01/30/who-gets-your-services-for-free/#comment-8504 That One Caveman Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:21:13 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/01/30/who-gets-your-services-for-free/#comment-8504 Now that I've formally launched my company, the only people who get free service are those who received free service before, with the understanding that paying customers will have first access to my time. And I offer a 30% discount to those who are referred to me through church - a easy way to increase my exposure and grow my business with people who already know me. Now that I’ve formally launched my company, the only people who get free service are those who received free service before, with the understanding that paying customers will have first access to my time. And I offer a 30% discount to those who are referred to me through church – a easy way to increase my exposure and grow my business with people who already know me.

]]> By: m http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/01/30/who-gets-your-services-for-free/#comment-8497 m Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:28:38 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/01/30/who-gets-your-services-for-free/#comment-8497 I don't charge friends or family of course. Other than that, I've done a lot of tutoring, editing/writing/copy editing/proofreading work for pay for people who I know in a professional way only, for and organizations. It's a pretty clear line for me as to who gets charged and who doesn't. Then again, just because I wouldn't charge a friend doesn't mean I'd edit, say, a novel for them for free, obviously. There are time (and other) constraints. I don’t charge friends or family of course. Other than that, I’ve done a lot of tutoring, editing/writing/copy editing/proofreading work for pay for people who I know in a professional way only, for and organizations. It’s a pretty clear line for me as to who gets charged and who doesn’t. Then again, just because I wouldn’t charge a friend doesn’t mean I’d edit, say, a novel for them for free, obviously. There are time (and other) constraints.

]]> By: Laura http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/01/30/who-gets-your-services-for-free/#comment-8493 Laura Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:37:35 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/2008/01/30/who-gets-your-services-for-free/#comment-8493 My husband and I help with some basic tech problems. We got my aunt's house on a wireless network. We got 'paid' with food, does that count? My husband and I help with some basic tech problems. We got my aunt’s house on a wireless network. We got ‘paid’ with food, does that count?

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