14: When Should You Work For Free?

Should you work for free, and if so, when, when does it make sense to work for free?
Now I have three different responses to this question- Yes, gray area, and No, and today I’m going to walk you through all three.

1. Yes.

I have worked for free so much, and I still do on a regular basis, and there have been upsides and downsides to this. When I started my business, I did a lot of work for free and that ended up having a really good ROI for me, a return on investment, to test my concept, to get testimonials and to get social proof.
When you think about the question- should I work for free, should I do this for free, think – what’s the ROI and is that ROI worth it for you.
Another clear yes for me is, and this is more of what I do now, when I choose to help someone out when I’m seeing someone in my community struggling, or someone I know or a friend and I know I can help them. So, this is not a decision based on ROI, it’s the fact that I know I can help you and I feel like helping you.

“When you think about the question- should I work for free, should I do this for free, think – what’s the ROI and is that ROI worth it for you.“

– Maggie Giele

2. Gray area

This can be different from person to person, but a big one that I see often here are exchanges, when for example two service providers decide to exchange services. This is such a gray area because it’s so hit or miss. I have done exchanges which were fantastic. I have done exchanges which were absolute soul sucking crap. And I can’t really tell you when it makes sense or not. The big thing here is, are you aligned in goals and values. So, be very careful when it comes to exchanges.
The second gray area is when close friends and family want your help. Again, be careful. I have seen this go very wrong very quickly, especially if you’re dealing with close family members who are asking for discounts that you don’t feel willing to give. There is no right or wrong here, this is – do you feel like doing this, yes or no? 

3.No

Lastly, the answer “no” to the question “Should you work for free?” For me this is very straightforward. When should you say no to doing work for free? It’s when you don’t want to do the work for free. So, if someone comes to you with a request or you have an opportunity but it requires working for free, and you just don’t want to then just say no. It’s okay.

Love + magic,

Maggie