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Should Freelancers Ever Work for Free?

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You've just been asked to work for free, perhaps with a promise of "great exposure." What should you do?

working for free

Whether it comes from a family member or even a potential new client, most freelancers have been asked to work for no pay. Perhaps the request was from a family member that doesn't realize the amount of time put in to the request, or from a client who would like a trial run before hiring a new freelancer. But should freelancers ever work for free?

The question has stirred up debates among freelancers, some insisting it's necessary to work for free in order to get started, others saying that it devalues the work and brings the price for that work down. There's merit to both sides of the argument – here's what freelancers should consider when they're asked to work for free.

Value matters.

Say you are ordering at a restaurant you've never been to before, and you want a really great pizza. There are two options on the menu– a $5.99 value pizza and a $15.99 deluxe pizza. Which pizza do you think is better? Most consumers will say that $15.99 pizza is better, because there's a value associated with price.

The more an item is priced, the more value people will associate with it. Most will automatically equate that $5.99 pizza with a greasy one-topping pie, and that $15.99 with a topping-filled tasty dinner. The same thing applies to things that are free. When you give your work away for free, it can send a message that you are a low skilled freelancer, because there's little value associated with something that's free.

Since free things have little value, freelancers should never work for free, right? Well, not necessarily. Whether or not a freelancer should do some work for free depends largely on the situation. Here are some examples:

When you should work for free

  • When you are a new freelancer, and you have no portfolio, you may need to work for free so that you have samples to show paid clients. This is just temporary – a few free projects to show what you can do. Don't place free bids for clients actively seeking freelancers; instead try seeking out a nonprofit and volunteering, creating a product for yourself (like a blog or logo) or opportunities such as guest posts that double as a marketing tool.
  • When you work in exchange for marketing. Sometimes, you may not get paid in monetary form, but through exposure. A prime example is the Huffington Post. While they have some paid writers on staff, they publish a lot of guest posts for free. Many writers have grown their business exponentially after guest posting for a large site like Huffington Post, because it offers a big boost in their credentials. That's not to say every freelance writer should write guest posts for free, but for some it is a great marketing tool.
  • When you trade services. Say you are a freelancer writer that needs a new logo, and say you meet a graphic designer that needs to update their website copy. There's certainly nothing wrong with trading services.
  • When the person that's asking is your mom (or someone equally important to you). There's undoubtedly some people in your life that you owe. Just be sure to set a limit and decide how far to extend family freebies (or if you want to do them at all).

When you shouldn't work for free

  • When you have a solid portfolio. I've come across this many times – a potential client asks for sample work done specifically for them, despite having very similar work in my portfolio. Charge for that work. If you are creating something that the client will be able to use, they should be paying for that service. When asked to do a test trial for free, politely tell them your rates for that work. Point them to your existing samples, and mention that it does not have to be long term if the first project doesn't work out. Again, when you offer work for free, you lower the perceived value of your service.
  • When the client reaches out to you for something like a free guest post, that should be a warning flag. That's sort of like asking for a gift, it's not exactly polite or good business practice. If they like your work enough to contact you, they should like it enough to pay you.
  • When your work isn't going to be connected to your name. Make sure before sending out any guest posts or similar "free" marketing efforts that you know how it is going to be used. If you create a guest post or cartoon that isn't linked back to your website, you've wasted your time. Take the time to write down exactly how your work is to be used and make sure both parties agree.
  • When the work isn't "evergreen." Sometimes, you may not get paid right away, but will reap rewards over time. A classic example is starting your own blog. You won't get paid one lump sum like blogging for a client, but those blog posts will continue to earn advertising revenue long after you've completed them. If you do need to create a portfolio, a great way to do so without working for free is to create a blog that has potential to earn you money down the road, long after you've completed it and are getting paid clients.

Most freelancers, at some point, are asked to work for free. For the most post, free work should act as a red flag. When freelancers offer work for free, it devalues their services. Time is valuable, so freelancers shouldn't work for free, at least not often. But, in a few cases, working for free can be a good marketing tool, and may be necessary for freelancers who have no portfolio.

What do you think? Have you ever worked for free? How did it turn out?

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Stephen Hodgkiss
Chief Engineer at MarketHive
markethive.com

Alan Zibluk – Markethive Founding Member

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Earn a Full-Time Income as a Part-Time Affiliate Marketer

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You don't need business experience, savvy technical skills, or personal experience to become an affiliate marketer. With the right education, tools, guidance and implementation, almost anybody who’s serious can get it running and can begin earning legitimate, dependable money.

Most of us stay at home mums would agree that we have a tremendously demanding job. Caring for a child full time is no joke especially when you have more than one to chase around. On the flip side, most would also agree that it’s the most fulfilling and rewarding job in the world! Despite how busy or stressful it can get, it allows us to enjoy these precious early years with the most important little people in our lives.

As time flies by, most of us are almost given the ultimatum to go back to work or stay at home with the kids. So depending on your personal circumstances and your financial commitments, most of us find ourselves heading back to work, not really having a choice.

But what if there was another choice for you? A choice that allowed you to work from home 1-3 hours a day, never having to personally sell, recruit or host any parties, no physical handling of products and you did not have to have business, savvy technical skills or personal experience? A very uncommon option that could lead you to replacing your full time income (and then some) and giving you back the time with you kids, family and friends.

So what is it? This is what we call Affiliate Marketing.

So what is Affiliate Marketing?

To put it simply, an Affiliate Marketer is like an “Internet Middle Man” who promotes somebody else’s goods online. They make money when they successfully connect an online buyer with an online merchant who is already selling what the buyer needs. If a sale takes place because of the Affiliate Marketer’s efforts, then they get paid a percentage of the selling price (AKA a commission). There’s no need to buy or create products or services to sell, and there are no storage, handling or shipping issues to manage as mentioned above.

Affiliate Marketing also known as Digital Marketing can provide you with a lifestyle people only dream of. Many people globally have made substantial incomes with this knowledge and as the digital economy grows we can only began to imagine the financial bliss you could bring to your lives with the proper training and knowledge.

People who attempt it expecting instant gratification will almost always fail. Successful Affiliate Marketers are the ones who treat it like a serious business and understand that like with anything real, what you put in is what you get out. With the right education, tools, guidance and implementation, almost anybody who’s serious can get it running and can begin earning legitimate, dependable money. It can also provide financial security that employment just can’t promise. The Internet isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon and because you work for yourself, you’re never at risk of losing your job.

The best part about Affiliate Marketing is once you have learnt and implemented the right training, you can run your business from anywhere in the world, as long as you have an internet connection and computer, you’re all set! Just imagine being able to jet set around the world, investing 1-3 hours a day into your business and spending the rest with you family. Sounds great right?

If you believe that my message is worth spreading, please use the share buttons at the top of the page.

Stephen Hodgkiss
Chief Engineer at MarketHive
markethive.com

Alan Zibluk – Markethive Founding Member

General

Residual Income: What Is It and How Does It Work?

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A residual income stream will earn you money even when you're not on the clock. Owning rental units, collecting royalties or investing in a savings and investment program are examples of such passive incomes.
 

residual income

Residual Income: What Is it and How Does It Work?

Wouldn’t it be nice to earn money while not working? That money is called residual, or recurring, income. It's what can happen after you put a lot of time, effort and sometimes money into a job to continue to get paid for the work months or years after it's done. (Salary jobs are part of linear income. This income is directly related to the number of hours you work. If you work 40 hours, you get paid for 40 hours of work.) Once you set up your business to earn residual income, you continue to make money while doing other things – maybe even starting a new business to generate more residual income!

Types of Residual Income

Some examples of residual income sources include:

  • Royalties from intellectual property, such as books and patents
  • Subscriptions, advertisements, donations or affiliate links from your blog or website
  • Transferring the rights to a song you recorded, a book you wrote, a software program you created or a gadget you invented to a company agreeing to pay you a percentage of each copy of your work sold
  • Purchasing an office or apartment building and leasing or renting out the properties
  • A savings and investment program that earns interest
  • E-book sales
  • Stock photography royalties

Does the Money Just Keep Rolling In?

The ideal residual income stream will produce money 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and you don’t have to personally market or interact with the business in any way. All you have to do is watch your bank account grow.

But that’s more like a fairytale. You’ll have to put in some effort to continue receiving residual income on the business you started. Talking to your managers and representatives will help them be more productive and run your business better. Marketing your online sales through social media and your network will help earn you more money. But you just won’t have to work at it as your full time job. Think of it as a part time job that can potentially bring in full time pay.

Advantages to Residual Income

  • You do have the potential to be financially independent if your residual income produces enough money.
  • Having residual income allows you to do more important things with your time. Whether that’s a hobby or another job, making money from your residual income stream won’t be the primary focus of your life.
  • No matter what, you will have a constant flow of income (however large or small it may be). This is critical if you get injured or sick, can’t work because of another emergency, or if you just want to take an extended vacation.
  • You will make money no matter where you live, unlike a linear income which ties you down to your position.

Of course, before the money starts rolling in you will probably have to put a lot of time, effort and money into the business or project. You’ll need a lot of patience and determination to see the residual income in the future. Instant gratification is not possible when it comes to residual income.

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Stephen Hodgkiss
Chief Engineer at MarketHive
markethive.com

Alan Zibluk – Markethive Founding Member