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How do I gracefully transition from doing gratis work for a buddy to charging my usual rate? (web design) (self.freelance)

submitted ago by 10000_Spoons_Irony

About a year ago I built out a small site for a friend starting her own business. I was happy to do the work, I didn't really need the money at the time (I have a full-time job), and she would be a good reference if her business grows. There was no contract at the time; I wasn't really freelancing and it was more of a spare-time thing.

Over this year, paid freelancing has taken off a bit for me (in addition to my FT job), so my time to spare in general is pretty sparse. My friend has recently contacted me and asked if we could work on expanding her site.

I don't do discounts, and I honestly can't afford to do gratis work anymore. It would be easy for me to tell anyone else that I need money to do work, but since she is a buddy... I find the topic a little difficult to broach. Has anyone been in a similar situation? How did you deal?

As an additional note, her business is growing but I don't think she has turned a profit yet. Just something to consider since my usual rate isn't exactly peanuts. Also, her business doesn't offer any kind of a "quid pro quo" that we could exchange... I wish she had started a restaurant!

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[–]co_samo 3 points4 points ago

Try saying that you're really overbooked and can only focus on paying clients. It's nothing personal that way, your paying clients have paid you to do a job so you've got to deliver.

Free work will be forever secondary to paying work, so they've got the option to wait an indeterminate amount of time or start paying.

[–]Sir_Lord_Bumberchute 1 point2 points ago

You're fucked.

[–]10000_Spoons_Irony[S] 1 point2 points ago

I know.

[–]Sir_Lord_Bumberchute 1 point2 points ago

You need to make the decision.

Is this a "buddy" or is this "client"?

Because they can't be both.

[–]araneaediscordia 0 points1 point ago

This^

It's rough, but you do have to make the choice.

[–]araneaediscordia 1 point2 points ago

It doesn't matter whether a website is making money for you to charge for it. They're making the investment, as a business decision.

Unfortunately, there's no real way to make this painless. If you don't deal with it now, though, you'll be either ignoring this person or doing their work for free your entire length as a developer.

I'd suggest approaching it firmly but sensitively with your language. If you haven't been keeping proper invoices for her work, that makes it a little rougher. When I had to transition a free client to a paid client, I gave them an itemized list of free-work to date with the request, showing the full amount had it been paid.

[–]iceduck 0 points1 point ago

Start doing discounts. Charging your buddy full price is a little rough IMO. Estimate your work full price, and then show her an estimate with and without the discount. She should understand that you're doing an effort and can't work for free anymore.

Good luck !