General Rules For Doing Free Freelance Work

Every now and then, hopefully not too often something may come along whether it is for family / friends / a charitable cause / a non-profit organisation etc where you make the decision to waive your normal fee for your services.

I have been in a few of these situations and I have learnt some hard and fast lessons. Despite the logic of it, your are not doing the work for free. You might be doing it to return a favour, to support something you believe in, to promote your name or for a inner warm nurturing feeling to put a smile on your face and help you sleep better. Either way, their is an incentive, there is a return – just in this case it is not currency.

Unfortunately, bumbling into these situations for whatever the return, we often ,or at least I did – switch off. Every sensibility, eye for opportunities and method of practice we have built up and put to norm gets thrown out the window. For example:

- Project specifics don’t get detailed
- We do not complete any paperwork
- Normal working hours seem to have no limits for this project and calls can come as and when pleased
- Ideas go stale and work is slap dash

What Should One Be Doing?

Written Agreements – Stipulating what you would normally go through. If you do not say that your only prepared to do 5 revisions – why should you be angry when whoever it is wants 10? You need to set boundaries as to what it you are actually prepared to do.

Room to Express – Many projects that you may do for free, should be taken advantage of, for lack of a better phrase. Use them to explore ideas and bolster up your portfolio with new concepts.. However….

Correct Research – Simple things, don’t spend 4 weeks creating a brilliant innovative folding brochure for a charity of they can’t afford to print them in the number they require.

Your commitment – When agreeing to do work in these cases, it is important that your prepared to put as much relevant time into the project as you would normally. If not, the entire thing will feel like a headache or unwanted chore. For whatever reason, you should want to be doing it.

Looking for opportunities – For instance, if doing work for a charity, insist on liasing with someone high up in the food chain. Networking! Maybe ask for credit on the finished product, with a website link and name

Do you have any advice for freelancer’s doing free work?

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• July 25, 2010 -- Maintaining Business Standards As A Freelancer (2)
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